The Halton Regional Police Service Firearms Unit is responsible for firearms licensing, legislative compliance investigations, the examination and certification of firearms, and the destruction of firearms that have been turned over to police for disposal or ordered by the courts to be destroyed.

Halton Regional Police Service Firearms Analyst Detective Constable Rick Ferguson can be contacted at 905-465-8731.

For additional resources, visit the Association of Firearms and Took Mark Examiners website.

Notice to Firearm Owners:

You have been identified as an individual with an expired firearms licence, and are the owner of prohibited and/or restricted firearms, the Halton Regional Police Service is currently involved in a Firearms Initiative that is designed to assist in bringing you into lawful compliance of Canadian firearms legislation.

Under the Criminal Code individuals are required to have a valid firearms licence in order to legally possess firearms. Firearm licences are valid for 5 years and then must be renewed prior to expiration. Individuals with an expired licence and registered firearms are in illegal possession of those firearms. The Canadian Firearms Program is obliged to revoke the registration certificates of such individuals.

You were previously sent a licence renewal notice as well as a revocation notice by registered mail by the Canadian Firearms Registry. The Registry has not received a response from you and as a result has forwarded the Halton Regional Police Service your licence and firearm information for further action.

Individuals with an expired licence (since January 1st 2004) and revoked non-restricted registration certificates are protected from criminal liability for unauthorized possession of a non-restricted firearm (most rifles and shotguns) by an amnesty announced May 17, 2006. This amnesty has been extended until May 16, 2013, and applies only to non-restricted firearms. The amnesty was put into place to allow individuals to come into compliance and not merely a time frame to ignore your legal obligations as a firearms owner. You are still in unauthorized possession of these non-restricted firearms.

This amnesty does not apply to your possession of restricted and/or prohibited firearms and you currently are committing a criminal offence relating to these classes of firearms. The purpose of this Firearms Initiative is not to prosecute offenders, but to assist you in becoming a lawful firearm owner.

Your firearms cannot be left in your possession. The police have a duty to take these firearms and store them on your behalf until lawful compliance is met.

Options available to you:

Renew your firearms licence

A renewal package can be obtained by contacting the Canada Firearms Centre at 1 800 731-4000 or by visiting the Canadian Firearms Program website at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf

Transfer your firearms to another licenced individual or business

Once an individual or business is identified by you, the transfer can be initiated by contacting the Canada Firearms Centre

Relinquish your firearms to police for destruction

The police will destroy your firearms and advise the Canadian Firearms Registry of this action.

With any option, you will receive a receipt for the firearms that are surrendered to police; please retain this receipt for your records.

If you decide to renew your firearms licence of transfer your firearms to another licenced individual or business, you must act now. The police will hold your firearms for 90 days to allow the process you chose to be completed. After 90 days have passed the police will be in a position to destroy the firearms.

If you have any questions regarding your firearms or options please contact D/Cst Rick Ferguson, the Firearms Analyst for the Halton Regional Police Service at 905 465-8731. He can assist you and provide information regarding your firearms and selected process.