Government of Canada opens the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program to all individual firearms owners

January 17, 2026 - Montréal, Québec

Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, accompanied by the Honourable Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature) and Ian Lafrenière, Minister of Public Security for the province of Québec, announced the launch of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) to all eligible firearms owners nation-wide. This voluntary program will remove dangerous, assault-style firearms from our communities while offering law-abiding gun owners the opportunity for fair compensation.

On January 19, all valid Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) holders will be notified of the launch of the program and how to participate. Eligible firearms owners will have until March 31, 2026, to submit a declaration in the online portal or by mail. Owners are encouraged to submit a declaration as early as possible to ensure they receive compensation. Declarations will be processed primarily on a first come first served basis, aligned with the availability of funds. The declaration period will open on January 19 and close on March 31, 2026.

Following the declaration period, eligible participants will only be able to schedule an appointment through the ASFCP for collection by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), police of jurisdiction or a mobile collection unit to turn in their prohibited firearms for validation and destruction.

While participation to obtain compensation through the program is voluntary, compliance with the law is not. All owners who do not participate in the program must dispose of or permanently deactivate their prohibited firearms and devices before the amnesty period ends on October 30, 2026. Owners in possession of a prohibited firearm or device following this date will be non-compliant with legislation and could face the loss of their PAL, as well as criminal liability.

The Government of Canada remains committed to combatting firearms-related crime and violence. Alongside the ASFCP, which will remove dangerous, assault-style firearms from Canadian communities, we are hiring an additional 1,000 Canada Border Service Agency Officers and 1,000 RCMP personnel to tackle illicit firearms trafficking, strengthening enforcement at the border with Canada's $1.3 billion Border Plan, implementing mandatory licence refusal for those suspected of domestic violence or stalking, restricting access to handguns, and launching a comprehensive review of Canada's firearms classification regime. Together, these measures form a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence in our communities and keep Canadians safe.