The Canadian Firearms Program - Keeping Canada Safe

PDF Version (267KB)

The Canadian Firearms Program (CFP), part of the RCMP’s Policing Support Services, provides comprehensive firearms support and expertise to a variety of partners and clients across Canada, fulfills its mandate of enhancing public safety through safe firearms use and supports law enforcement in the prevention and investigation of firearms-related crimes.

The CFP is responsible for the administration of the Firearms Act which governs the possession, transportation, use and storage of firearms in Canada.  The CFP oversees firearms licensing of individuals, and maintains national firearms records in the Canadian Firearms Information System (CFIS), a database consulted more than 9000 times per day by frontline police officers across Canada.

The CFP’s Central Processing Site, located in Miramichi, NB, houses a group of well-trained employees who respond to firearms-related inquiries and provide helpful information and assistance to police, individuals and firearms businesses.

The Firearms Investigative & Enforcement Services Directorate (FIESD) is another component of the CFP. FIESD’s highly qualified firearms specialists are dispersed across Canada. They offer direct investigative and technical support to law enforcement in areas such as firearms tracing, classification, tracking, analysis and intelligence. These specialists, who offer a broad range of firearms expertise, play an integral role in investigating illicit firearms trafficking and combating organized crime and terrorism in Canada.

Chief Firearms Officers (CFO) and their expert staff are located in each of the provinces and territories. They are responsible for approving licence applications and a variety of firearms permits, and investigating firearms-related incident reports. CFO’s also supervise instructors for the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC), which educates individuals across the country in the safe and responsible use and handling of firearms.

Canadian Firearms Program

• Enhancing Public Safety
• Supporting Law Enforcement
• Targeting Criminal Use of Firearms Through Effective Support to Police

The CFP In Action

The Firearms Reference Table (FRT) -- A comprehensive reference database which provides a standardized method of identifying and describing firearms. This Canadian system currently exceeds 130,000 records and is relied upon by various national and international groups.

Security Screening -- All firearms licence applicants are thoroughly screened, and their eligibility to possess and use firearms is continually re-assessed. As a result, almost 23,000 licenses have been either refused or revoked based on risks to public safety being identified and addressed.

Safety Training and Education -- The CFP oversees the Canadian (Restricted) Firearms Safety Course (CFSC/CRFSC) which teaches safe and responsible use and handling of firearms. Demonstrated knowledge of course content is mandatory before an individual will be granted a firearms licence.

Service and Information The CFP supports and promotes the lawful ownership and use of firearms in Canada by providing firearms information, guidance and service to the public.

Information

For more information, contact the CFP.

This fact sheet is intended to provide general information only. For legal references, please refer to the Firearms Act and its Regulations. Provincial, territorial and municipal laws, regulations and policies may also apply.

CAFC 1247 EF (2009/04) V1

To read Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files, you may need to download and install the free Adobe Reader available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.