r/canadaguns • u/No_Front_5315 • Apr 13 '26
Application / Regulation advice Canadian law seems to take air guns too seriously. Has it always been this way?
Non Canadian here (this should change in the near future). I live in the Netherlands currently and before that Spain, and the UK. Here in the Netherlands there are essentially zero restrictions on air guns and pistols, no license required. In Spain you're limited to 24.2 joules without a license, and the UK is the most restrictive at 16.3 joules.
I was looking at getting an air pistol to do some target practice in the garden, but since my plans are to move to Alberta in 2027/2028, I would want to take it with me. I learned that to do this I would need a PAL, which is obviously not possible to get until I'm a resident. Something that Canada views as a real firearm is just allowed here in the Netherlands with no issue. Very strange to me considering Europe gets a reputation for over regulation. Even in the UK where I'm from, which is pretty anti gun, an easy to obtain airgun is not so easy to get in Canada with a PAL.
My question is, has Canada always been this hard on air guns or is this a result of the Trudeau era policies?
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u/HappyCan7250 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
There are quite a few air pistols you can get without a license, most are not licensed as very few air pistols break 500fps. There are several .22 air pistols around 495fps that don't require a license. The laws are a bit convoluted, but not many air pistols even exceed 500fps so almost all are non licensed.
That said, getting your PAL is pretty easy once you're here so it isn't an obstacle for getting something more powerful. In many ways our laws are significantly less restrictive than the UK (although UK allows 22lr ARs which we aren't allowed sadly), but at least here once you have your PAL you're basically good to me buy whatever is legal and as much as you want, no needing an approval for each gun like the UK. Just place your order online and it'll show up a week later to your door!
Reloading also doesn't require any additional licensing (over a PAL) here, as I've heard it does in the UK?
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u/Grizzly-Jester Apr 13 '26
Reloading also doesn't require any licensing here, as I've heard it does in the UK?
You need either a PAL or a Fireworks Operator Certificate to buy gunpowder in Canada.
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u/Acceptable_Visit_115 Apr 13 '26
Yup, they added the PAL for powder thing on May 22nd, 2024:
https://www.csaaa.org/2024/06/05/pal-required-for-smokeless-and-black-powder/
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u/HappyCan7250 Apr 13 '26
Doesn't require special licensing, I should have said. I believe it's a separate license in the UK.
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u/Natural_Comparison21 Apr 13 '26
Generally if you get approved for a FAC they will approve you for reloading from my understanding.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
Do you need a licence to buy fireworks in Canada? Or does a fireworks operator certificate mean something else ?
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u/fungus_bunghole Apr 13 '26
18+ to buy fireworks. No license. Some cities have or will be banning backyard fireworks.
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u/goodfleance Apr 13 '26
Fireworks operators require a license but consumer grade fireworks only need to be 18+. However many local jurisdictions ban them
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u/SandySpectre Apr 14 '26
There’s 2 different licenses for pyrotechnics in Canada. There’s a display fireworks pyrotechnics license which covers operators setting off big displays like New Year’s Eve and Canada Day. Then there’s a special effects pyrotechnics license which covers movie sets, concerts and special events. Consumer grade fireworks don’t require a special licence but I think you have to be over 18.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
I believe you need a firearms license to reload in the UK. Although I never looked into owning a gun and the rules around it while I lived in the UK as it's not as gun friendly as north America and there's a lack of public lands to use them on so everything is clubs or private land only.
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Apr 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
The suppressor one confuses me. Surely it would be better as it's less disturbing to the environment and thus the animals and people. Hopefully some politicians in the future can make logical arguments to allow them or at least trial it to prove it's not an issue.
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u/Acceptable_Visit_115 Apr 13 '26
Our lawmakers are driven by emotions conveyed by Hollywood tropes.
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Apr 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/julienjj Apr 13 '26
our local range has hours restrictions due to noise regulations to not disturb the neighbor. less noise is always a good plus, regardless where you are.
also, i would kinda feel guilty about exposing a hunting dog to loud gunshot noise, for sure it damage their hearing too.
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u/shortyhoward Apr 15 '26
Try waterfowl hunting 😂 old boys get tonnes of shots over their heads
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u/julienjj Apr 15 '26
I know :/
poor pups1
u/shortyhoward Apr 15 '26
I'm a waterfowl hunter. I personally suffer from tinnitus. I try to use hearing protection while out hunting but you gutta hear birds flying in too. I do notice my dogs in their older age a bit hard of hearing, but then you'll move a dish and they'll hear it from across the yard. So it seems its more them being stubborn than the hearing issues. They definitely aren't severely effected luckily.
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u/Foreign_Active_7991 Apr 18 '26
You can get ear and eye pro for dogs now bro, google "rex specs" (sp?)
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
If everything goes to plan then I'll be able to vote in about 6-7 years time, and I'll be on the lookout for politicians with their head screwed on tightly who can try to bring critical thinking back to politics. It's so sad to view, as an outsider, how Canada has been held back for so long. It has incredible potential and I hope to help it get closer to that potential and start a family there.
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u/Ciggaris Apr 14 '26
Buddy what are you doing moving to Canada if you’re looking for politicians with their heads screwed on tightly? I get that the grass is always greener on the other side but damn. I’m trying to move to the US cause I’ve given up hope on things here 😂
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u/Tough-Air-4765 Apr 13 '26
some of the other odd things you can own in the UK "easier" then the US a operational main battle tank. If I read correctly now it requires 2 certificates in the UK a Section 2 liscence with a believe it is called Destructive device certificate for guns/rifles with a bore diameter larger then 40mm since that also applied to puntguns of larger sizes that were still in use. Also licensing that armoured vehicle for road use. The major restriction is you are not allowed to shoot HE rounds out of the gun, in the US it vary wildly from state to state and getting it road certified you can be stopped due to some states like in Canadian provinces having Anti Fortified vehicle laws to target organized crime and can cover Military vehicles. And yes Puntgunning is still legal in the UK as well although probably less then 50 gunners do it these days.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 14 '26
You're right. I used to live close to a guy who owned a tank. We could see it in his field when walking through the country lanes. The UK is a confusing place because on the one hand you can have armoured vehicles but on the other there is serious discussion to ban almost all knives with a pointed tip.
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u/Patient_Jicama Apr 13 '26
"gateway guns" is what the powerful anti-gun lobby calls them
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u/PF_til_my_last_day Apr 13 '26
I would love to create a company with that name. Free marketing.
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u/mischling2543 Apr 14 '26
You'll get all your products banned within a year after an ignorant intern at Poly (or more likely these days, a chatgpt query) comes across your name
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u/Acceptable_Visit_115 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
Airgun laws haven't changed in like 30 years. In fact, the most recent change on this topic was IIRC the wave of 1990s gun bans. Trudeau came very close to banning airsofts in 2022-23 with Bill C-21, but failed to do so.
There are 3 classes of airguns:
Non-firearms: If it does not meet the V50 energy threshold of "severe bodily harm", it is deemed a non firearm. Depending on how it looks, it might be either a "replica" which is a PROHIBITED DEVICE, or a legal non-firearm if it looks different enough (i.e. Clear plastic shell, clearly fictional design, etc.). Note: the "replica" clause is written in the Criminal Code but the interpretation of what is a "non-firearm" was not written in any law, it's only enforced by the police and CBSA post-1998.
Exempted firearms: If it meets the V50 threshold (for 0.2g 6mm BB, it is 366ft/s), it is a firearm under Criminal Code section 2. But if it is under 152.4m/s (500ft/s) OR 5.7J (satisfying either is fine), it falls under the "exempted" class under Criminal Code section 84(3). That means it is not considered as a firearm for the most part as it is exempted from certain sections of the Criminal Code and Firearms Act (e.g. Licensing, storage, transport), but it will still be treated as a real firearm if you do crime with it. This class is where Canada-compliant airsoft guns and typical pellet guns fall under. The limit was initially 500ft/s only, the 5.7J one was added later to specifically allow lightweight, high-velocity rounds, where they can clock ~600-700ft/s out of a .177 air rifle but the lighter projectile means they will fail to hit 5.7J. In a rare moment of common sense, the government added this clause to not make every 495ft/s air rifle owner a criminal.
Firearms: If it meets both 152.4m/s AND 5.7J thresholds, it will be classified like any other real firearm. That means full autos are prohibited, short barreled pistols are prohibited, etc. You will need a PAL/RPAL to own these.
https://rcmp.ca/en/firearms/classes-firearms/specific-types-firearms#s1
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u/Additional_Fold_1350 Apr 14 '26
"Depending on how it looks, it might be either a "replica" which is a PROHIBITED DEVICE, or a legal non-firearm if it looks different enough"
This is the part that makes me nervous. I've had/have multiple pellet/BB pistols bought from Cabellas that are exact replicas of the real deal. Originally bought so I could save ammo plinking other than at a range, and to take camping ect.
Seems like they fall under prohib now due to this, but don't want to go in to the RCMP and start asking questions or get an opinion as I don't want to have my property siezed.
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u/Acceptable_Visit_115 Apr 14 '26
Yes, basically the RCMP and CBSA just... Randomly decides to enforce it or not, I guess.
Most "exact replicas" these days are post-1998 OIC designs that can hit the V50 threshold and are totally fine.
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u/MarkusFrodo Apr 13 '26
Not sure what your situation is, but you just need to be a temporary resident to get you PAL (unless they’ve changed it). I got mine on a study permit about ten years ago.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
My long-term girlfriend is a citizen, we actually met when I was at UofA on a year abroad. I'll begin the paperwork for the PR this year with plans to move in the next 12-18 months ISH.
Id move today if I could but there's a lot of hoops to jump through even though our passports look almost identical and are issued by the same authority.
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u/mhkhung Apr 13 '26
Canadian ISSF and SFC certified coach here. Basically all air pistols you can buy in Canada do not require PAL and are factory limited to under 500fps. You can't import your own from Europe or US for this reason since they were not factory restricted, but we have access to all competition worthy air pistols: Steyr, Morini, ...
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u/Additional_Fold_1350 Apr 14 '26
What about pellet pistols that are pretty much exact replicas? Specifically the Glock and Sig Sauger models at Cabellas? Been shooting these to save ammo and have more freedom for plinking outside the range for years.
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u/mhkhung Apr 14 '26
Imported compressed air/CO2 replicas/airsoft are also PAL-free otherwise the dealer won't be selling it. If you already have them without a restricted cert, they are already under 500fps and you can continue to use them (safely).
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u/Canadian-Footy-Fan Apr 13 '26
Airgun regulation has been consistent for quite a while so I don’t think Trudeau is to blame - though I could be wrong.
Anything over 500 feet per second is considered a firearm in Canada regardless of caliber and anything under 500 doesn’t require a licence at all. Not sure where you got your info re an air pistol requiring a PAL to import but you may want to double check that info. An air pistol below 500 fps can be bought by anyone (though lots of retailers only sell to those over 18) and an air pistol above 500 fps is actually “restricted” here (need your RPAL) because it is a pistol that is considered a firearm.
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u/Grouchy-Director-670 Jun 12 '26
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, a barreled weapon is classified as a firearm if it meets two specific thresholds in tandem: a muzzle velocity greater than (500) feet per second (fps) AND a muzzle energy greater than (5.7) joules
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u/_Shorty Apr 13 '26
*prohibited
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u/CringelordCameron Apr 13 '26
An air pistol over 500fps is still restricted, you just cant do handgun transfers anymore.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
I was using AI to advise on the rules for import and it pointed to a limit on the joules of the air gun pushing it into PAL territory. So it is entirely possible the AI missed some other details as I have noticed it often does. But it can usually be good for some gun related questions I have and it's more time efficient than manually searching webpages.
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u/iatekane Apr 13 '26
AI is unreliable, do the research the old fashioned way and read the around material, you’ll get accurate information that way.
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u/GreenMan165 Apr 13 '26
These particular regs have been on the books for quite a while, prior to Trudeau. What the Trudeau Liberals almost did was entirely ban any air gun that looked like a real firearm by their definition, that was scrapped and one of the only small concessions we got on their gun control bill.
But yeah, I wouldn't say the laws are too complicated perse, but taken too seriously, perhaps yeah, setting the 500 FPS limit for gun license vs. no gun license is a simple enough rule to follow, but perhaps a bit arbitrary in terms of actual safety merit. Unless you consider the things taught in the safety course to transfer well to someone who owns an air gun capable of breaking the speed of sound barrier, but I think while debatable, that's the breaks for how it goes here for now. The way the climate has been around guns/air guns I wouldn't expect things to get less restrictive with the current government, just hopefully not more.
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u/Plumbercanuck Apr 13 '26
Canadian law seems to take all guns too seriously.
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u/Grouchy-Director-670 Jun 12 '26
technically, you can take a potato and a sharpie. write the word gun on the potato and brandish said potato in a menacing fashion: under canadian law, it's a firearm.
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u/OniDelta al Apr 13 '26
Something else to keep in mind is laws from the different levels of government. So while air gun laws are federal, since you’re moving to Alberta then Calgary is a likely destination. The municipal bylaws here don’t allow you to shoot an air gun in your garden. There’s a good chance your neighbours will call the cops and you’ll get a visit from some concerned uniforms. You gotta go to an approved space or outside of the city limits.
Also, just because it’s an air gun doesn’t mean you don’t treat it like a real firearm. Don’t transport it out in the open. I learned that the hard way when I was 17 and we got pulled over because someone in a taller vehicle saw an airsoft walther pp7 in the backseat of our car.
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u/No_Front_5315 Apr 13 '26
Yeah, I am more of a rural person anyway so I'll be looking to be outside the cities with a few acres around. That's if the market doesn't pull the same stunt it did over the last few years and skyrocket prices.
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u/mhkhung Apr 14 '26
I don't know where the OP got his misinformation from. People here mix up handguns and airguns and mixed in politics here. Essentially, airgun laws have not changed meaningfully for decades. You cannot discharge a firearm including airgun in your garden/backyard in many cities. But you can own and shoot in a shooting club/range or most likely your basement without any problem.
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u/Ok_Committee464 Apr 14 '26
Canada as a country is the over reacting Karen-Oedipal helicopter mom that everyone rolls their eyes when they see coming. Of course we pretend air guns are very dangerous.
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u/FAMOUS0612 Apr 14 '26
Canadian law under liberals is a joke period , lower sentence and no minimum jail time for gun crimes but than go after legal gun owners
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u/soundssarcastic bc Apr 13 '26
Didnt a lady get a weapons charge for spraying a kid with a water gun here?
Our laws are absolutely batshit insane in some areas, and clearly some of those laws keep the batshit insane from owning firearms, which is good.
Because of our proximity to the United States half of our laws are based on their problems, which does nothing to solve anyones problems.
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u/floppy_breasteses Apr 14 '26
I remember that. I don't recall if she was charged with a weapons crime or with assault. Even common assault would be pretty stupid. A weapons charge would be insane.
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u/ThanksBoss94 Apr 13 '26
I remember having to upgrade an airsoft gun I ordered from the states, so that it would legally be able to cause serious bodily harm or death, so that it would no longer be a replica, so it would no longer be prohibited.
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u/TheRealTwooni Apr 13 '26
Depends on the airgun. For plinking in your garden. There are plenty of options that you van just buy and not need a PAL for.
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u/specificallyrelative Apr 14 '26
Pretty soon you won't be allowed to have finger guns around here. I got screamed at by my nieces friends mom because we (neice and I) were shooting elastics at eachother with our fingers, GUNS KILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LMAO.
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u/xx_rider nt Apr 14 '26
You can buy air guns in Canada without a PAL they just have to be under 500fps and under a certain amount of Joules i don't remember off the top of my head. .177 and 22Cal under 500fps are under the limit for sure you just need to 18 to purchase from most places.
But you are absolutely correct out gun laws are a mess and they only keep getting worse.
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u/Fuck_you_all22 Apr 14 '26
You don't need to become a permanent resident or citizen to get a pal. I was shocked to find out some international students who were involved in criminal activity had valid firearms licenses.
As far as i can remember, airguns have been viewed as firearms. Nonpal airguns are like below 495 ft/s. Anything over 500 ft/s will require valid pal.
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u/Q-Ball7 In the end, it's taxes all the way down Apr 14 '26
which is obviously not possible to get until I'm a resident
You can get a PAL before that, but taking the course itself would be difficult.
is this a result of the Trudeau era policies?
Ignorant Easterners. You're going to the not-Canada part of Canada so you won't be exposed to it as much, but enjoy being politically disenfranchised for the rest of your life.
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u/nejnedau Apr 14 '26
read they swat teamed a few people that were observed in parking lots just buying one. and killed a kid walking along with one even
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u/shortyhoward Apr 14 '26
Kid in a town near me just got charged for having a replica bb 1911..
New Glasgow Police have arrested a youth following an incident Saturday night involving a replica firearm at a business on George Street in New Glasgow.
Police say staff reported that a male youth displayed what appeared to be a handgun. On Sunday afternoon, officers on patrol located the suspect at a restaurant on East River Road and placed him under arrest.
Authorities seized a replica handgun, later identified by investigators as a BB gun.
The youth has been charged with two counts of Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public, as well as Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.
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u/floppy_breasteses Apr 14 '26
Canada has always been kind of a nanny state but it's been so much worse under the liberals. Airguns have always had a velocity limit before needing a firearms licence, but the laws haven't actually changed as much as those governing firearms.
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u/DryF1re Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I support firearm ownership in Canada.
However, anything that imitates a firearm should be banned IMO.
A bunch of hardcore wannabe edgelords running around in the woods pretending they are SOCOM is not worth thhe trouble they cause in society.
the number of animals and people that are shot with skin penetrating rounds from air soft is much higher than the reports say.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/1ecv5hj/to_the_person_who_randomly_decided_to_shoot_me/
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u/Murray3-Dvideos Apr 14 '26
Lol You obviously dont support firearm ownership.
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u/DryF1re Apr 14 '26
i support responsible ownership and am a gun owner.
airsoft is pretty much for trash people with criminal records.
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u/Natural_Comparison21 27d ago
I know this is a old comment but I can't help but get a chuckle at it. My guy do you know how many people I have met at airsoft that have PALS? Lot more then you would think. None of those people have criminal records. Airsoft is not for trash people. What next? You gonna say war of 1812 re-enactments are for trash people as you don’t need a pal to buy a flintlock long gun?
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u/DryF1re 27d ago
oh im sure there is a huge overlap between PAL owners and airsoft users.
but lets not pretend there arent a ton of crappy/trashy legal gun owners. there are.
from my experience, people who engage in faux firearm sports (paintball/airsoft) are just shittier people on average
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u/Natural_Comparison21 27d ago
There is.
Sure but largely they are harmless.
Not at the arena I went to.
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u/IcySkyDream Apr 13 '26
European gun laws are very restrictive, but mostly logical, and can result in a common-sense approach like legalizing suppressors.
Canadian gun laws are now very restrictive but entirely illogical and politics-driven.
Basically, our gun laws are an American solution to a non-existent Canadian problem for clueless but opinionated voters that the LPC panders to for political reasons.
We’re hoping the Supreme Court of Canada sorts this out, but they sometimes side with the government(s). We’ll see…