Waiver on Firearms Renewal Fees

March 06, 2008

OTTAWA – Further to the Federal Government’s Budget 2008 announcement, short-term measures that would facilitate compliance and the extension of the waiver on firearms renewal fees were announced on March 1, 2008.Additional measures with regard to license renewals and the extension of a period of amnesty for individuals with expired licenses, or in possession of unregistered non-restricted firearms were also announced.

“Our Government is committed to effective gun control and tackling the criminal misuse of firearms. We believe in targeting criminals, not duck hunters and farmers,” said local MP Guy Lauzon.

These measures will:
Extend the fee waiver associated with renewing or upgrading an existing firearms license until May 16, 2009;
Renew the amnesty which protects non-restricted firearms owners taking steps to bring themselves back into compliance (e.g. obtaining a firearms license or registration certificate) from criminal possession until May 16, 2009, and;
Provide expired Possession-Only License (POL) holders with the opportunity to apply for a new POL after license expiry until May 16, 2009.

Currently nearly 100,000 Possession-Only Licenses (POL) have expired even though these individuals continue to own firearms. This number continues to grow.

These measures will encourage compliance among firearms owners. It will also facilitate the ability of former license holders to come back into lawful compliance with existing requirements.

“Effective gun control requires high levels of compliance. These measures are designed to facilitate that compliance,” said Lauzon.