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Guide

Storage and transport, magazines and suppressors

What the storage regulations require for each class, when you need an ATT, how many rounds a magazine may hold — and why a suppressor is not an option.

  • Updated
  • Law as of
  • 5 min read
  • 13 sources

In short

Store every firearm unloaded; how it has to be secured depends on its class. Restricted and prohibited firearms travel locked, in an opaque locked container and with an authorization to transport. Magazines are limited to 5 rounds for semi-automatic long guns and 10 for semi-automatic handguns commonly available in Canada; for other semi-automatic handguns and for automatic firearms the limit is 5. Suppressors are prohibited devices.

Storage by class #

A non-restricted firearm may be stored only unloaded and either with a secure locking device (such as a trigger lock), with the bolt or bolt-carrier removed, or in a securely locked container, receptacle or room that cannot readily be broken open or into. Exceptions apply to predator control and to remote wilderness areas. (SOR/98-209 s. 5(1)–(3))

A restricted firearm may be stored only unloaded and either with a secure locking device AND in a securely locked container, receptacle or room that cannot readily be broken into — both together — or in a vault, safe or room specifically built or modified for the secure storage of restricted firearms and kept securely locked. (SOR/98-209 s. 6)

A prohibited firearm is stored like a restricted one. If it is an automatic firearm with a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, that part must also be removed and kept in a different room that is securely locked and cannot readily be broken into. (SOR/98-209 s. 7)

In every class the firearm must not be readily accessible to ammunition, unless the ammunition is stored — together with or separately from the firearm — in a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into — or, for a restricted or prohibited firearm, in a vault, safe or room that has been specifically constructed or modified for the secure storage of such firearms and that is kept securely locked. (SOR/98-209 ss. 5–7, paragraph (c))

The regulations describe what storage has to achieve. They name no safe standard, no resistance grade and no weight. (SOR/98-209 ss. 5–7)

Transport and the ATT #

A non-restricted firearm is transported unloaded. Left in an unattended vehicle, it has to be in the locked trunk; without a trunk, out of sight and with the vehicle locked. (SOR/98-209 s. 10)

A restricted firearm is transported unloaded, with a secure locking device, in a locked container of opaque material that cannot readily be broken open or accidentally opened. A prohibited firearm likewise, and for an automatic firearm the removable bolt or bolt-carrier is taken out. In both cases, a container left in an unattended vehicle must be in the trunk or a similar compartment that is securely locked — or, if there is none, the vehicle must be securely locked and the container not visible from outside. (SOR/98-209 ss. 11, 12)

Restricted and prohibited firearms also need an authorization to transport (ATT). Since 7 July 2021 only two purposes come automatically with the licence: after a transfer, from the place of acquisition to where the firearm is kept; and, for restricted firearms, to and from approved clubs and ranges in the province of residence (not for a firearm acquired as part of a collection). Every other trip — a move, a gunsmith, a gun show, a range in another province, a border crossing — needs an ATT from the chief firearms officer. (Firearms Act s. 19(1), (2.1)–(2.3); RCMP)

Magazines #

A cartridge magazine is a prohibited device if it holds more than 5 cartridges and is designed for a semi-automatic firearm other than a handgun, or more than 10 cartridges and is designed for a semi-automatic handgun commonly available in Canada. For a semi-automatic handgun not commonly available in Canada and for an automatic firearm, the limit is 5 cartridges. The count is in the cartridge the magazine was originally designed for. (SOR/98-462, Schedule, Part 4, s. 3(1))

The five-cartridge limit does not cover magazines for rimfire firearms; the ten-cartridge limit for handguns does. Long guns that are not semi-automatic have, with some exceptions, no limit. A magazine permanently altered so that it cannot hold more than the limit is legal. (SOR/98-462, Schedule, Part 4, s. 3(2); RCMP)

Since 15 December 2023 an individual needs a valid firearms licence to acquire a cartridge magazine, and it is an offence to alter a magazine to hold more than its lawful capacity. (Firearms Act s. 25(2); Criminal Code s. 104.1)

Suppressors #

Any device designed or intended to muffle or stop the sound or report of a firearm is a prohibited device. Possessing one without a licence is an offence, and the Firearms Act provides such a licence only for businesses — for an individual a suppressor is therefore not an option. (Criminal Code s. 84(1), s. 92(2); Firearms Act s. 11)

How Waffenschrank handles it #

In Waffenschrank you record your safes, cabinets and storage locations and see which firearm is where. For magazines the app knows the Canadian limits and flags a magazine above them — as long as it knows which firearm the magazine is for; for suppressors it shows the legal position of your country. Every note comes with its source and the date it was checked. More about the app.

Sources and date #

Every statement on this page was checked against the official text on September 29, 2026. The consolidated federal texts were current to September 21, 2026.

Frequently asked

Do I need a gun safe in Canada?

Not necessarily. A non-restricted firearm must be stored unloaded and either with a secure locking device, with the bolt or bolt-carrier removed, or in a securely locked container, receptacle or room that cannot readily be broken open or into; a restricted firearm needs a secure locking device plus such a locked container, receptacle or room, or a vault, safe or room specifically built or modified for restricted firearms. In both cases the firearm must not be readily accessible to ammunition unless the ammunition is locked away. (SOR/98-209 ss. 5, 6) The regulations name no safe standard.

Do I need an ATT for a non-restricted rifle?

No. An authorization to transport concerns restricted and prohibited firearms. (Firearms Act s. 19)

Are 10-round magazines legal for my rifle?

For a semi-automatic centre-fire long gun the limit is 5 rounds; a magazine designed for a semi-automatic handgun commonly available in Canada may hold 10. (SOR/98-462, Schedule, Part 4, s. 3) What counts is what the magazine was designed for. Not legal advice.

Status and sources

Law as of

Oldest check date, in our register of legal provisions, among the provisions cited here.
Page updated
Legal text

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