By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.

Last updated: 28 September 2026

No, most airguns, BB guns and airsoft guns in Canada do not need a PAL. An airgun needs a firearms licence only when it exceeds both a muzzle velocity of 152.4 metres per second (500 feet per second) and a muzzle energy of 5.7 joules (4.2 foot-pounds). (RCMP, Specific types of firearms)

This question comes up constantly in our CFSC classes, usually from a parent buying a first pellet rifle or someone who just ordered a pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) rifle online. The federal answer is simple. What most people miss is that provinces and cities have their own airgun rules, and those apply no matter how slow the gun shoots.

The short answer

• Over 152.4 m/s AND over 5.7 joules: the airgun is a firearm. You need a PAL, and licensing, registration, storage and transport rules apply as they would to a conventional firearm. Most PCP rifles and magnum spring rifles fall here.
• At or under either number: no federal licence and no registration. Most BB guns, department-store pellet guns and airsoft guns fall here.
• Airsoft guns that resemble a real make and model with near precision and shoot a 0.20 g, 6 mm pellet under 111.6 m/s (366 fps) are replica firearms, which are prohibited devices. You cannot buy, make or import them.
• A low-powered airgun is still treated as a firearm under the Criminal Code if it is used to commit a crime.
• BC's Firearm Violence Prevention Act takes effect 1 October 2026: no sales of BB, pellet or airsoft guns to anyone under 18, and none of them on schools, hospitals, courthouses and other designated properties.
• Many cities ban firing any weapon inside city limits, including an airgun in your own backyard.

When does an airgun count as a firearm in Canada?

The exemption sits in Criminal Code section 84(3)(d), and the RCMP explains how it is applied on its Specific types of firearms page. The RCMP states that an airgun has to exceed both thresholds to be classified as a firearm for the purposes of the Firearms Act. Stay at or under either number and the gun is exempt from licensing and registration.

That is why a light .177 pellet can leave the muzzle faster than 500 fps and still not require a licence: the pellet is too light to carry 5.7 joules. The same rifle shooting a heavier pellet, or a .22 calibre version of it, can cross both lines.

The RCMP says the manufacturer's specifications are usually used to decide what an airgun was designed to do. Check the manual or the manufacturer's website. If you cannot find the numbers, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 and ask to speak to a firearms technician.

The RCMP says high-powered air rifles are generally classified as non-restricted firearms, the same class as most hunting rifles. The exact design decides it: a folding stock that brings the overall length under 660 mm makes one restricted, and an air rifle built to resemble an assault rifle can be non-restricted, restricted or prohibited depending on the model it imitates. If you want to understand what those classes mean for you, read our guide to the difference between non-restricted and restricted firearms.

Do BB guns need a licence?

Almost never. A typical BB gun or spring pellet pistol shoots well under both thresholds, so no PAL and no registration. Canadian retailers often sell "Canadian spec" versions tuned to 495 fps so buyers stay on the unlicensed side of the line. Buy one of those, then fit a stronger spring or a regulator, and you may have adapted it into a firearm you now need a licence to possess.

Are airsoft guns legal in Canada?

Yes, with one big catch. The RCMP states that an airsoft gun firing a 0.20 g, 6 mm plastic pellet below 111.6 m/s (366 fps) that resembles an existing make and model of firearm "with near precision" is a replica firearm, and replica firearms are prohibited devices. You cannot acquire, make or import one. People who owned a replica on 1 December 1998 may keep it, with no licence or registration needed, but a replica taken out of Canada cannot come back in.

Devices that are significantly smaller or larger than the real firearm are generally not treated as replicas, and the RCMP says many devices made of clear or brightly coloured plastic are assessed case by case. If you are unsure about a specific airsoft model, ask the Canadian Firearms Program before you buy.

Is a low-powered airgun still a weapon under the law?

Yes. An airgun under the thresholds is exempt from licensing, registration and the unlicensed-possession offences. It is not exempt from the rest of the Criminal Code. The general definition of firearm in section 2 covers any barrelled weapon capable of causing serious bodily injury or death, and the RCMP confirms that anyone who uses a low-powered airgun to commit a crime faces the same penalties as someone who uses a regular firearm. The RCMP also notes that the Criminal Code requires reasonable precautions when you use, carry, handle, store, transport or ship one.

Carrying an airsoft rifle down a residential street is how people end up on the ground in front of a police officer. The officer cannot tell a replica from a real rifle at 30 metres, and neither can the person who called 911.

Does my province have its own airgun laws?

BC does, and it takes effect this week. The Firearm Violence Prevention Act and its regulations come into force on 1 October 2026. For low-velocity and imitation firearms, which include BB, pellet and airsoft guns, the Act:

• makes it an offence to sell them to anyone under 18
• requires anyone under 18 transporting one, in or out of a vehicle, to keep it unloaded in a locked, non-transparent case
• requires them to be securely stored when transported in a vehicle or boat
• prohibits them on designated properties: places of worship, courts, child care facilities, hospitals, K to 12 schools and post-secondary institutions
• makes it an offence to cause a public disturbance with one

The Province states that the regulations include exemptions for hunting, sport shooting, firearms education and training, and airsoft activities. (Government of BC, April 2026)

Outside BC, the RCMP notes that the possession, acquisition and use of low-powered airguns is regulated more by provincial and municipal law than by federal law, and that some provinces set a minimum age to acquire one. Check your provincial age rules before you buy, and check your provincial hunting regulations before you hunt with an airgun.

Can I shoot an airgun in my backyard?

Usually not in a city. Municipal bylaws commonly ban discharging any weapon inside city limits. The Calgary Police Service puts it plainly: "In Calgary it is a bylaw offence to fire any weapon within city limits, including on your own property." (Calgary Police Service)

Rural municipalities and regional districts often allow it with conditions, such as distances from dwellings or roads. Call your city hall or read the discharge bylaw before you set up a target.

How do I store and transport a high-powered airgun?

A high-powered airgun is a firearm, and the RCMP says it must be stored, transported, displayed and handled under the regulations that support the Firearms Act, the same as a conventional firearm of its class. For a non-restricted air rifle that means it is unloaded, and it is also fitted with a secure locking device or locked in a container or room, or one of the other options the storage regulations allow. Our guide to transporting firearms in Canada walks through the transport side.

In BC, the new provincial rules add a secure-storage-in-transport requirement for low-velocity guns too.

Should you take the CFSC for an airgun?

If you are buying a PCP or magnum spring rifle that crosses both thresholds, you need the PAL, and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course is the first step. Our CFSC course covers the handling, storage and transport rules you will actually use. Many airgun buyers go on to rimfire and centre-fire rifles, and the licence opens that door as well.

Once you are licensed, the Silvercore Club keeps you current as the rules change and connects you with a community of people who shoot regularly.

Frequently asked questions

Is 500 fps the legal limit for airguns in Canada?

500 fps (152.4 m/s) is one of two numbers. The airgun also has to exceed 5.7 joules of muzzle energy before it needs a licence.

Can a 12-year-old own a BB gun in Canada?

Federal law sets no licence for BB guns under the thresholds. In BC, from 1 October 2026, it is an offence to sell one to anyone under 18, and anyone under 18 transporting one must keep it unloaded in a locked, non-transparent case. Other provinces set their own rules.

Do I need a PAL to buy a PCP air rifle?

You need a PAL if the rifle exceeds both 152.4 m/s and 5.7 joules, and many PCP rifles do. Check the manufacturer's rated velocity and energy for the calibre you are buying.

Is airsoft illegal in Canada?

No. Playing airsoft is legal. Airsoft guns that resemble a real firearm with near precision and shoot under 366 fps are replica firearms, which cannot be acquired, made or imported.

Do I need to register my airgun?

Registration applies only to restricted and prohibited firearms. A high-powered air rifle is generally non-restricted, so it is not registered unless its design puts it in a higher class. An airgun under the thresholds is never registered.

Travis Bader, Silvercore Outdoors