By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.
Last updated: 24 October 2026
An antique firearm in Canada is either a firearm manufactured before 1898 that was not designed to discharge rim-fire or centre-fire ammunition, or a firearm listed in the Antique Firearms Regulations, SOR/98-464. Antiques are deemed not to be firearms for the Firearms Act and the main Criminal Code possession offences, so they need no licence or registration. Storage, display and transport rules and the careless-use offence still apply to them.
What does the Criminal Code say?
Section 84(1) of the Criminal Code defines an antique firearm as "(a) any firearm manufactured before 1898 that was not designed to discharge rim-fire or centre-fire ammunition and that has not been redesigned to discharge such ammunition, or (b) any firearm that is prescribed to be an antique firearm".
An unaltered pre-1898 muzzleloader meets paragraph (a). A pre-1898 firearm built for rim-fire or centre-fire cartridges does not, and is an antique only if it is on the prescribed list under paragraph (b).
What does SOR/98-464 add?
The Antique Firearms Regulations, SOR/98-464 prescribe seven kinds of firearm as antiques:
- A reproduction of a flintlock, wheel-lock or matchlock firearm, other than a handgun, manufactured after 1897.
- A rifle manufactured before 1898 that discharges only rim-fire cartridges, other than 22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges.
- A rifle manufactured before 1898 that discharges centre-fire cartridges with a bore diameter of 8.3 mm or greater, "measured from land to land in the case of a rifled bore, with the exception of a repeating firearm fed by any type of cartridge magazine".
- A shotgun manufactured before 1898 that discharges only rim-fire cartridges, other than 22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges.
- A shotgun manufactured before 1898 that discharges centre-fire cartridges "other than 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 or 410 gauge cartridges".
- A handgun manufactured before 1898 that discharges only rim-fire cartridges, other than 22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges.
- A handgun manufactured before 1898 that discharges centre-fire cartridges, other than one designed or adapted for one of 11 listed cartridges, including 32 Smith and Wesson, 38 Long Colt, 44-40 Winchester and 45 Colt.
How does the cartridge condition work in practice?
- A pre-1898 shotgun built for 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 or 410 gauge centre-fire cartridges is not an antique. The RCMP page on specific types of firearms says "a shotgun that discharges 12 gauge centre-fire cartridges would not be considered an antique no matter how old it is".
- A pre-1898 centre-fire repeater fed from a magazine does not qualify under item 3, whatever its bore.
- A pre-1898 handgun in 45 Colt or 44-40 Winchester is not an antique. It falls under the handgun rules in section 84(1): restricted, or prohibited with a barrel of 105 mm or less.
- A modern reproduction qualifies only if it is a flintlock, wheel-lock or matchlock long gun. The RCMP states that "All other reproductions of long guns are considered non-restricted firearms."
What does antique status exempt you from?
Section 84(3) of the Criminal Code deems an antique firearm not to be a firearm "for the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 107 and 117.03 of this Act and the provisions of the Firearms Act". The RCMP states: "If you only own antique firearms, you do not need a firearms licence or to register any of them." It adds that "There are no restrictions on selling, buying, bartering or giving away antique firearms."
What rules still apply to antiques?
Section 84(3.1) states that an antique firearm is a firearm for regulations made under paragraph 117(h) of the Firearms Act and for section 86(2) of the Criminal Code. For individuals, those regulations are the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations, SOR/98-209. Section 2(5) disapplies sections 5 to 13 for antiques, and section 14 sets these rules:
- "An individual may store, display or transport an antique firearm only if it is unloaded."
- In an unattended vehicle, the antique goes in a locked trunk or similar compartment, or, where the vehicle has none, out of sight inside the locked vehicle.
- An antique handgun is transported in a locked container "made of an opaque material" that cannot readily be broken open.
Breaking those rules is an offence under section 86(2). Section 86(1) (careless use, carriage, transport or storage), section 85 (using a firearm while committing an offence) and section 87 (pointing a firearm) are not on the section 84(3) list. For those offences, an antique that meets the general definition of a firearm in section 2 of the Criminal Code is still a firearm.
How do you confirm a firearm is an antique?
You need the date of manufacture and the cartridge it was designed for. The RCMP says "you need to know if it was made before or after 1898 in order to know what rules apply", and directs questions to the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000.
PAL course for the rest of your collection
Any firearm that fails the antique test needs a licence. The Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) at Silvercore is $190 plus tax over two consecutive days. Book the PAL course.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a PAL for an antique firearm in Canada?
No. Section 84(3) of the Criminal Code deems antique firearms not to be firearms for the Firearms Act and for the licensing offences in sections 91 to 95. The RCMP states that if you only own antique firearms, you do not need a firearms licence or to register any of them.
Is a muzzleloader an antique firearm in Canada?
An original muzzleloader made before 1898 is an antique. A reproduction made after 1897 is an antique only if it is a flintlock, wheel-lock or matchlock and is not a handgun, under item 1 of the schedule to SOR/98-464. The RCMP treats all other reproduction long guns as non-restricted firearms.
Is a pre-1898 12 gauge shotgun an antique?
Not if it fires centre-fire cartridges. Item 5 of the schedule to SOR/98-464 excludes pre-1898 centre-fire shotguns in 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and 410 gauge, and the RCMP states that a shotgun that discharges 12 gauge centre-fire cartridges is not an antique no matter how old it is. An unaltered 12 gauge muzzleloader made before 1898 meets paragraph (a) of the Criminal Code definition and is an antique.
How do you store an antique firearm in Canada?
Unloaded. Section 14 of SOR/98-209 allows an individual to store, display or transport an antique firearm only if it is unloaded. In an unattended vehicle it must be in a locked trunk or out of sight in the locked vehicle, and an antique handgun travels in a locked opaque container.
