By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.
Last updated: 24 October 2026
Restricted firearms in Canada are the four categories in the Criminal Code definition of "restricted firearm": handguns that are not prohibited, non-prohibited semi-automatic centre-fire firearms with a barrel under 470 mm, firearms that can be fired when folded or telescoped below 660 mm, and firearms prescribed as restricted by regulation. The regulation that does the prescribing, SOR/98-462, currently lists one item as restricted: the High Standard Model 10, Series A and Series B shotguns. Any firearm that also meets a prohibited firearm definition falls in the prohibited class instead.
For how the three classes work, read the difference between non-restricted and restricted firearms.
What does the Criminal Code list as restricted?
Section 84(1) of the Criminal Code defines "restricted firearm" in four paragraphs:
- (a) "a handgun that is not a prohibited firearm,"
- (b) "a firearm that (i) is not a prohibited firearm, (ii) has a barrel less than 470 mm in length, and (iii) is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner,"
- (c) "a firearm that is designed or adapted to be fired when reduced to a length of less than 660 mm by folding, telescoping or otherwise, or"
- (d) "a firearm of any other kind that is prescribed to be a restricted firearm;"
The same subsection defines "handgun" as "a firearm that is designed, altered or intended to be aimed and fired by the action of one hand, whether or not it has been redesigned or subsequently altered to be aimed and fired by the action of both hands;"
What does SOR/98-462 prescribe as restricted?
Paragraph (d) points to the classification regulations, SOR/98-462. Section 3 reads: "The firearms listed in Part 2 of the schedule are restricted firearms for the purposes of paragraph (d) of the definition restricted firearm in subsection 84(1) of the Criminal Code, except for those firearms that are prohibited firearms within the meaning of paragraph (b) or (c) of the definition prohibited firearm in that subsection."
Part 2 of the schedule, headed "Restricted Firearms", has one item in force, under the heading "Former Restricted Weapons Order":
- "The firearms of the designs commonly known as the High Standard Model 10, Series A shotgun and the High Standard Model 10, Series B shotgun, and any variants or modified versions of them."
Item 2 of Part 2 was repealed by SOR/2020-96, s. 4. Part 2.1 of the schedule, all 15 items, was repealed by SOR/2020-96, s. 5. In the consolidation current to 30 September 2026, item 1 is the only item in force in Part 2.
Are any weapons other than firearms restricted?
The Criminal Code defines "restricted weapon" as "any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed to be a restricted weapon;" SOR/98-462 contains no provision prescribing restricted weapons. Its sections 3 to 6 deal with restricted firearms (Part 2), prohibited weapons (Part 3), prohibited devices (Part 4) and prohibited ammunition (Part 5).
What do the categories cover in practice?
- Handguns. A handgun is prohibited under paragraph (a) of "prohibited firearm" if it "has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length" or "is designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32 calibre cartridge", with an exception for prescribed International Shooting Union competition handguns. A handgun with a barrel longer than 105 mm, chambered for something other than 25 or 32 calibre and not prescribed as prohibited, is restricted.
- Short semi-automatic centre-fire long guns. A rifle or shotgun with a barrel under 470 mm that fires centre-fire ammunition semi-automatically is restricted, unless it is prescribed as prohibited or caught by the paragraph (e) of "prohibited firearm" that covers non-handgun semi-automatic centre-fire firearms originally designed with a detachable magazine of six or more cartridges and designed and manufactured on or after 15 December 2023.
Any model prescribed as prohibited by the May 2020, December 2024 or March 2025 regulations (SOR/2020-96, SOR/2024-248 and SOR/2025-86) sits in the prohibited class whatever its class was before. The December 2024 models are in our list of the 324 firearms banned in Canada.
How do you check the class of a specific firearm?
The RCMP publishes the Firearms Reference Table, and "Members of the public can download the Firearms Reference Table" as a PDF. The RCMP describes it as "an administrative document," states that it "is not a legal instrument," and states that the Act and Regulations it names "are the prevailing legal authority with respect to firearm classification." If a firearm sits near a barrel length or overall length threshold, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 before you buy or modify it.
What licence do you need for a restricted firearm?
Section 7(2) of the Firearms Act requires the restricted PAL course (CRFSC), on top of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC), for a licence covering restricted firearms; PAL vs RPAL covers the difference. New handgun acquisitions by individuals are frozen, with exemptions, as explained in what you can still do under the handgun freeze.
Silvercore teaches the PAL course and the restricted PAL course together as one combined course over two consecutive days or three consecutive evenings, $270 plus tax. Book the combined CFSC and CRFSC course.
Frequently asked questions
Are all handguns restricted in Canada?
No. A handgun is restricted only if it is not a prohibited firearm. Under section 84(1) of the Criminal Code, a handgun with a barrel of 105 mm or less, or one designed or adapted to fire a 25 or 32 calibre cartridge, is prohibited, subject to an exception for prescribed handguns used in International Shooting Union competition. Handguns prescribed as prohibited by regulation are also prohibited.
Is a short-barrelled semi-automatic rifle restricted?
A semi-automatic firearm that fires centre-fire ammunition and has a barrel under 470 mm is restricted under paragraph (b) of the definition, provided it is not a prohibited firearm. If the model is prescribed as prohibited, or is a non-handgun originally designed with a detachable magazine of six or more cartridges and designed and manufactured on or after 15 December 2023, it is prohibited.
Which firearms does SOR/98-462 list as restricted?
Part 2 of the schedule to SOR/98-462 currently lists one item: the High Standard Model 10, Series A and Series B shotguns and any variants or modified versions of them. Item 2 of Part 2 and all of Part 2.1 were repealed by SOR/2020-96.
Is the Firearms Reference Table the law?
No. The RCMP states that the Firearms Reference Table "is not a legal instrument" and that the Act and Regulations it names are the prevailing legal authority on firearm classification. The RCMP describes the table as an administrative document, and members of the public can download it as a PDF from rcmp.ca.
Is a restricted weapon the same as a restricted firearm?
No. The Criminal Code defines a restricted weapon as any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed to be a restricted weapon. SOR/98-462 prescribes restricted firearms in Part 2 of its schedule and contains no provision prescribing restricted weapons.
