On October 25, 2019, Washington State lawyer Shawn Bertram Jensen crossed the border into Canada at Osoyoos, British Columbia.

Customs agents found a loaded Ruger .22 handgun and a Colt AR-15 with standard capacity magazines and ammunition in his vehicle. Shawn Jensen’s AR-15 standard capacity magazines are, under Canadian law, classified as Prohibited Devices. (see Overview of Canadian Gun Laws below.)

Shawn Jensen was arrested and now faces eight criminal charges.

• Giving a false or deceptive statement regarding import of goods
• Smuggling goods into Canada
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm
• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon
• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm in a vehicle (2 counts)
• Possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition (2 counts)

Visiting Canada

We love our American neighbours and we want you enjoy your time north of the 49th Parallel. It may sound like a trite reminder, but Canadian gun laws differ greatly from American gun laws.

Please make sure you understand all the Canadian legal requirements for possessing firearms while you are here.

The Canada Border Services Agency strongly recommends you “leave your firearm(s) at home when travelling to Canada and/or transiting through to reach another US destination.  Additionally, you must have all necessary permits and ensure your firearm(s) is stored and transported appropriately.”

If you don’t need to bring your guns to Canada, please ensure all firearms, magazines and ammunition is removed from your vehicle before you leave home. Even a single round of ammunition under your seat could land you in hot legal water.

Visiting Canada With Guns

If you are visiting Canada with firearms for 60 days or less, you must fill out a Non-Resident Firearms Declaration form before you arrive at your chosen border crossing.

If you are coming to Canada to hunt or participate in a shooting competition, please ensure you only bring the firearm(s) you intend to use, along with ammunition for it.

When bringing handguns into Canada, please ensure all magazines are limited to ten (10) rounds and the barrel is 106 mms in length, or longer.

If you are visiting Canada for longer than 60 days, you must apply for a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). This licence is valid for five years.

For complete details, please see the RCMP advisory page for Non-Residents Visiting Canada.

Overview of Canadian Gun Laws

This is an extremely brief overview of Canadian firearm laws. For complete details, please visit the RCMP Firearms Portal and the Firearms Act, aka Chapter 39 of the Criminal Code.

Firearm Owner Licencing

In Canada, to legally possess most rifles and shotguns you must have a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL).

To legally own most handguns and some rifles and shotguns you must also have a valid Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (RPAL).

For complete details, please visit the RCMP Firearm Owner Licensing portal.

Firearm Classifications

In Canada, firearms are classified into one of three categories.

• Non-Restricted: most rifles and shotguns
• Restricted: most handguns and some rifles and shotguns
• Prohibited: all handguns with a barrel length of 105 mm or less, all handguns chambered in .25 and .32 calibre and some specifically listed rifles and shotguns.

Prohibited Devices include ammunition magazines for rifles capable of holding more than five (5) rounds of ammunition, ammunition magazines for handguns capable of holding more than ten (10) rounds, Tasers and a variety of other items.

Firearm Transport Regulations

Canada’s Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations cover all the requirements for legally storing and transporting firearms in Canada.

In a nutshell, rifles and shotguns must be unloaded. For complete details, please see Transportation of Non-Restricted Firearms.

Handguns must be unloaded, rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device such as a trigger or cable lock, and stored in an opaque case “not readily opened or broken into.”  For complete details, please see Transportation of Restricted Firearms.

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