Canada's Firearms Buyback Program Falls Short: What Gun Owners Need to Know as Collection Begins

What This Means for You

Canada's Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program has entered its most critical phase, and whether you declared a firearm, missed the deadline, or live in a province that is blocking the program, you need to understand exactly where things stand. The declaration phase closed on March 31, 2026, and the federal government is now transitioning to collection — but the program is facing significant challenges that directly affect your legal obligations, your compensation timeline, and your options.

Based on our analysis of federal program data, provincial legislation, and RCMP operational guidelines, here is a detailed breakdown of what you should do depending on your situation.

If You Declared a Firearm Before March 31

You are now in the queue for the collection and compensation phase, which according to Public Safety Canada is expected to run from spring through early fall 2026. Here is what to expect:

Timeline for collection:

Your declaration is being assessed for eligibility right now
You will receive direct instructions from the program on how to schedule a collection appointment
Collection will be handled by the RCMP, local police, or secure mobile collection units depending on your region
According to Public Safety Canada, compensation payments will be processed after your firearm is collected

Critical rule to follow: Do NOT bring your firearm to a police station or RCMP detachment unless specifically instructed to do so. An RCMP detachment in British Columbia issued an urgent warning on April 12 after several individuals showed up at the station with unsecured firearms. According to Global News, arriving at a detachment with unsecured or unregistered firearms is a criminal offence, regardless of your intent to surrender the weapon.

What to do while you wait:

Keep your prohibited firearm stored safely and legally according to existing storage requirements
Ensure your Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) remains valid
Watch for communication from the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program — it will come via the contact information you provided in your declaration
Do NOT attempt to transport your firearm to any location without explicit instructions from the program

Compensation estimates: The federal government set aside $248.6 million for the program, originally budgeting for approximately 136,000 firearms. With only 67,000 declared, per-firearm compensation funds should be adequate for those who participated. Compensation amounts vary by make, model, and condition — the proposed pricing model was published by Public Safety Canada for consultation in 2025.

If You Missed the March 31 Declaration Deadline

This is where your situation becomes more urgent. According to the federal government, the amnesty period for possessing prohibited assault-style firearms ends on October 30, 2026. After that date, possession of these firearms without having participated in the program becomes a criminal offence.

Your options as of today:

Contact the program directly. While the formal declaration period has closed, if you possess a prohibited firearm and did not declare it, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000. According to CBC News, the RCMP recommends calling your local detachment's non-emergency line for guidance on surrendering a firearm.
Permanently deactivate your firearm. Under the program rules, you may have your firearm permanently deactivated by a verified business instead of surrendering it for compensation. Deactivation must meet the standards set out in the Firearms Act regulations.
Export the firearm. If you hold the appropriate export permits, you may legally transfer the firearm to a buyer outside Canada. This must be completed before the October 30 amnesty expiration.

What you cannot do: You cannot sell, give away, or transfer your prohibited firearm to another person in Canada. These firearms have been prohibited since May 2020, and no domestic transfer is legal.

Example scenario: A firearms owner in Ontario who owns a prohibited AR-15 variant and missed the March 31 deadline has until October 30 to either contact the program, deactivate the firearm through a verified business, or legally export it. After October 30, simply possessing the firearm becomes a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison for an indictable offence, according to the Criminal Code.

If You Live in Alberta or Saskatchewan

Your situation is the most complicated. Both provinces have passed legislation blocking provincial participation in the federal buyback:

Alberta invoked the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, directing provincial agencies not to assist with the program
Saskatchewan enacted the Saskatchewan Firearms Act, requiring federal authorization before firearms can be seized within the province

According to CBC News, the federal government has confirmed that the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program "will not operate in Saskatchewan or Alberta." This means that even if you declared your firearm, you currently cannot receive compensation or have your firearm collected through the normal program process.

What this means practically:

If you declared in Alberta or Saskatchewan, your declaration is on file but collection cannot proceed under current provincial laws
Public Safety Canada has said it will dispatch mobile RCMP collection units to regions lacking local participation, but it is unclear whether these can operate in provinces with legislative barriers
As reported by CBC News, Alberta gun owners who declared banned firearms are in limbo — they cannot receive compensation, but they also cannot legally keep the firearms after the amnesty expires

Our analysis of your options:

Wait for federal-provincial resolution. The federal government may challenge provincial legislation in court or negotiate with provincial governments. However, there is no indication this will happen before October 30.
Contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 to discuss your specific situation and explore whether mobile collection may be available in your area.
Consider deactivation. If you want to ensure compliance regardless of the federal-provincial dispute, having your firearm professionally deactivated eliminates the legal risk entirely.
Consult a firearms lawyer. Given the unprecedented nature of this federal-provincial conflict, legal advice specific to your situation may be worth the investment. The Canadian Bar Association's lawyer referral service can connect you with a firearms law specialist in your province.

If You Live in a Province Where Police Declined to Participate

The premiers of Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon have all declined to participate in the program. According to CBC News, this means local police in these provinces will not assist with collection.

However, unlike Alberta and Saskatchewan, these provinces have not passed legislation blocking the program entirely. The federal government plans to use RCMP mobile collection units in these regions.

What to expect:

Collection will take longer in your province due to the need for mobile units
You may need to travel to a designated collection point rather than having a local pickup
Monitor the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program website for collection scheduling in your area

For All Canadians: Understanding the October 30 Deadline

Regardless of where you live or whether you declared, if you possess a firearm that falls under the 2020 prohibition order (which covers more than 2,500 makes and models), you must take action before October 30, 2026. After that date, the amnesty expires and possession becomes a criminal offence.

How to check if your firearm is prohibited:

Visit the RCMP Firearms Reference Table to search by make and model
If you're uncertain, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000
The full list of prohibited firearms is published in the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted

The News: What Happened

According to CBC News, the federal government's assault-style firearms buyback program received declarations for just over 67,000 firearms from 37,869 owners by the March 31, 2026, deadline — roughly half of the 136,000 firearms the government had budgeted for when it set aside $248.6 million for the program.

Public Safety Canada launched the declaration phase on January 19, 2026, giving individual firearm owners just over two months to register their prohibited weapons for compensation. As reported by the Canadian Press, the shortfall reflects both philosophical opposition from gun owners and practical barriers erected by provincial governments.

British Columbia led all provinces with 15,600 declarations, according to CBC News. Alberta recorded 7,334 declarations despite the province's official non-participation, demonstrating that thousands of gun owners in opposing provinces still chose to comply. Fewer than 2,500 firearms were declared in Manitoba, according to CBC News.

On April 12, Global News reported that an RCMP detachment in Nanaimo, British Columbia, issued a public warning after multiple individuals arrived at the station with unsecured prohibited firearms, apparently intending to surrender them under the buyback program. The RCMP emphasized that collection will be conducted through scheduled appointments only.

Analysis: Why This Matters

The 50% shortfall in declarations represents a significant challenge for the federal government's public safety objectives. When the assault-style firearms prohibition was announced in May 2020, it was framed as a comprehensive response to mass shootings in Canada. Six years later, the program designed to remove these weapons from circulation is on track to recover fewer than half of those it targeted.

Why the Numbers Fell Short

Based on our analysis, three factors drove the shortfall:

Provincial opposition: Seven provinces and one territory declined to participate, and two provinces — Alberta and Saskatchewan — passed legislation actively blocking the program. This created confusion among gun owners about whether participation was even possible or advisable in their jurisdiction.

Compressed timeline: The declaration window ran only from January 19 to March 31, 2026 — approximately 10 weeks. For a program that had been delayed for nearly six years since the original prohibition, the compressed timeline may have caught some gun owners off guard.

Philosophical resistance: The National Firearms Association and other gun advocacy groups actively discouraged participation, framing the program as government overreach. According to the Canadian Press, many gun owners chose not to declare as a form of protest.

What Happens to Undeclared Firearms

This is the critical question. If roughly 69,000 prohibited firearms remain undeclared, the government faces a choice after October 30: pursue criminal enforcement against non-compliant owners, extend the amnesty, or accept that a significant number of prohibited weapons will remain in private hands.

Based on our assessment, an amnesty extension is the most likely outcome if compliance remains low, particularly in provinces where the program cannot operate due to provincial legislation. However, no extension has been announced as of today.

Historical Context

Canada's only previous large-scale firearms program was the long-gun registry, which operated from 1995 to 2012 before being scrapped by the Harper government. That program registered approximately 7.1 million long guns but was widely criticized for cost overruns (final cost exceeded $2 billion) and enforcement challenges. The current buyback program faces similar political headwinds, though on a much smaller scale in terms of the number of affected firearms.

Your Action Plan

Immediate (This Week):

Verify whether your firearm is on the prohibited list
If you declared, ensure your contact information with the program is current
Do NOT bring firearms to a police station — wait for scheduled collection instructions

Short-term (This Month):

If you missed the deadline, call 1-800-731-4000 to discuss your options
If in Alberta or Saskatchewan, consult a firearms lawyer about your specific obligations
Research deactivation services in your area as a backup option

Long-term (Before October 30):

Complete whichever compliance path you've chosen — compensation, deactivation, or export
Monitor federal announcements for any amnesty extensions or program changes
Keep documentation of all communications with the program for your records

Other Perspectives

Federal Government:

Public Safety Canada has maintained that the program is a success, noting that 67,000 declarations exceeded some internal projections for the compressed timeline. According to CBC News, the government insists the collection phase will proceed as planned using RCMP mobile units in provinces that have declined to participate.

Provincial Opposition:

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have framed their legislative barriers as defending lawful gun owners' property rights. According to the Canadian Press, both provinces argue the federal prohibition unfairly targets legal firearms owners rather than addressing illegal gun crime.

Gun Owner Advocacy Groups:

The National Firearms Association has called the program a "failure" and urged the government to reverse the 2020 prohibition entirely. According to their public statements, the low declaration rate proves the policy lacks public support among the affected community.

Public Safety Advocates:

The Coalition for Gun Control and PolySeSouvient have urged the federal government to extend the program and increase enforcement, arguing that leaving prohibited weapons in circulation undermines the original public safety rationale. According to CBC News, these groups want mandatory compliance with criminal penalties for non-participation.

Affected Gun Owners in Opposing Provinces:

As reported by CBC News, gun owners in Alberta who declared their firearms are frustrated. They followed the federal government's process in good faith but now cannot receive compensation because their provincial government has blocked the program. Some have described feeling caught between two levels of government.

Note: Including multiple perspectives doesn't imply all views are equally valid, but ensures readers can make informed judgments.

Corrections Policy

We strive for accuracy. If you find an error in this analysis, please email us at [email protected]. We will promptly investigate and correct any factual inaccuracies.

Updates:

No corrections to date (as of April 13, 2026)

Sources

CBC News — Liberals planned to buy back 136,000 banned guns; fewer than half declared, April 1, 2026
CBC News — Albertans declare more than 7K banned guns under federal buyback, as province refuses program, April 1, 2026
CBC News — Albertans who declared banned guns under Ottawa's buyback still can't get compensation, April 10, 2026
CBC News — Fewer than 2,500 firearms declared in Manitoba as part of federal gun buyback program, April 4, 2026
CBC News — Saskatchewan isn't participating in Ottawa's firearm buyback program, January 2026
Global News — RCMP warn against bringing firearms to detachments under federal buyback program, April 12, 2026
CP24 — B.C. RCMP detachment issues warning amid federal gun buyback, April 12, 2026
Canadian Press — Gun buyback tally of over 67,000 firearms falls well short of federal estimate, April 1, 2026
Public Safety Canada — Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, 2026
Canada.ca — Start your declaration (individual), 2026