r/canadaguns • u/Stunning-Position759 • Mar 18 '26

Application / Regulation advice Only way to get a handgun exemption???

Why Does the “Protection of Life” Handgun Exemption Exist in Canada?

I’ve been doing some research into Canadian firearms law, specifically the exemptions related to restricted and prohibited handguns, and I came across something that raised a lot of questions for me.

Under section 20 of the Firearms Act, there is a category that allows individuals to possess restricted firearms or prohibited handguns for “Protection of Life.”

• The individual (or others) must face imminent danger from another person

• Police protection must be insufficient in the circumstances

• Possession of the firearm must be reasonably justified to prevent death or grievous bodily harm

What I find interesting is that an ATIP request reportedly showed that only one person in Canada currently holds this exemption.

Why does this category exist in legislation if it is almost never granted?

Has anyone tried to apply for this or has experience with this.

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u/waitwhatnothing Mar 18 '26

There are other ways to get a handgun exemption, there’s wilderness ATC for trappers and some other occupations. There’s also the exemption for competitors in ISSF pistol events.

I think the protection of life exemption is being phased out basically. It hasn’t been legal to just carry a handgun for self defence without some kind permit/exemption for over a hundred years and it’s just been made harder and harder to obtain over time.

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u/YYZYYC Mar 18 '26

ATC for trappers and scientists in the north (last ditch polar bear protection) is still not at all the same thing as walking around town/village strapping a pistol when you’re going about your business. It’s only allowed when they are working certain amount of km from a built up area and at work.

Too many people seem to think that having one of those ATCs allows those trappers to open or conceal carry whenever and wherever…..nothing could be farther from the truth.

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u/waitwhatnothing Mar 18 '26

I never implied anything of the sort, I was just saying that the incredibly rare “protection of life exemption” is not the only exemption that allows a person to acquire a handgun post-freeze and the others are actually more common. The OP was asking if it was the only exemption.