Federal Gun Buyback Program Opens With March 31 Registration Deadline

The federal government's compensation program for banned firearms will open to individual gun owners on Monday, with registration running through March 31 for those seeking payment or deactivation services.

The initiative targets approximately 2,500 types of firearms prohibited since May 2020, including the AR-15 rifle. Firearm licence holders will receive notifications about the declaration period and participation instructions.

Program Overview

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree emphasized the government's position on the banned weapons at a Saturday news conference in Montreal. "These are firearms designed for war, for killing people," he said. "They have no place in our communities."

The government has earmarked nearly $250 million to compensate participants who surrender their firearms or have them permanently deactivated by certified gunsmiths. Officials anticipate this funding will cover approximately 136,000 firearms.

Key Details

• Declaration Period: Monday, January 27 through March 31, 2026
• Claim Finalization: Spring 2026 (for approved declarations)
• Final Amnesty Deadline: October 30, 2026
• Compensation Basis: First-come, first-served
• Expected Participation: Approximately 136,000 firearms
• Allocated Compensation: Nearly $250 million for individuals
• Total Program Budget: More than $742 million (since 2020)
• Business Phase Results: More than 12,000 firearms collected, approximately $22 million paid out

Compliance Options

Gun owners have several options to comply with the prohibition beyond the buyback program. They can deactivate their firearms at their own expense, surrender them to local police without compensation, or export them if they possess an export permit.

Compensation amounts will be determined primarily on a first-come, first-served basis. In spring 2026, owners with approved declarations will be invited to finalize claims and schedule appointments to turn in firearms to the RCMP, local police, or mobile collection units.

Legal Requirements and Enforcement

Prohibited firearms and devices must be disposed of or permanently deactivated by the amnesty period's end on October 30. Anyone possessing a banned firearm or device after this date will be breaking the law and could face criminal prosecution.

"The deadlines are real -- please heed them," Anandasangaree warned at the announcement. Liberal MP and Secretary of State for Nature Nathalie Provost, who survived the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting, joined the minister at the event.

Provincial Challenges

The minister acknowledged implementation challenges in Alberta and Saskatchewan, where provincial officials have criticized the program. "There are legal impediments that have been deliberately placed on this program being implemented in those two provinces," Anandasangaree said.

The government expressed hope for finding compromises that would allow residents in those provinces to deactivate or submit their firearms for compensation.

Advocacy Group Responses

Several organizations advocating for stricter gun controls called the national launch "a win for public safety in Canada." PolySeSouvient, the National Association of Women and the Law, Danforth Families for Safe Communities, and Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns issued a joint statement supporting the initiative.

However, these groups warned that the buyback will succeed only if the government acts quickly to end sales of new SKS rifle models. The SKS, commonly used in Indigenous communities for hunting, has also been used in police killings and other high-profile shootings but is not among the banned firearms.

Criticism and Opposition

Federal Conservatives and firearm rights advocates have criticized the program as an ineffective use of taxpayer funds. Critics point to a pilot project in Cape Breton, where the government collected only 25 of a hoped-for 200 firearms.

"The federal government needs scrap this program because every dollar wasted on the confiscation is a dollar that can't be used to stop the real problem of illegal gun smuggling," said Gage Haubrich, Prairie director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights called the program "ineffective and divisive."

Some police associations have raised concerns that the initiative will do little to reduce crime while draining resources from fighting it.