Tighter rules will come into effect on May 18 to better control the sale and transfer of non-restricted firearms.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced Wednesday that effective May 18, 2022, individuals and businesses that transfer or sell a non-restricted firearm will be required to confirm the identity of the purchaser and the validity of the license, including license number and other information, from the Registrar of Firearms.
To confirm the validity of permits, sellers will be able to use the Canadian Firearms Program portal, accessible seven days a week, starting May 18, 2022.
Firearms businesses will also be required to maintain sales records and an inventory of non-restricted firearms, as was the case until 2005. For example, law enforcement agencies, who will have access to business records of Only firearms with reasonable grounds and judicial authorization will be able to better track weapons used to commit a crime. Records will be kept by the companies and not by the government.
“We are taking action to keep Canadians safe from gun violence,” said Minister Mendicino.
This new regulation aims to stop people who are not authorized to obtain a firearm.
“With confirmation of license validity, transparent business record keeping, and license verification with purchase, we are ensuring the Bill C-71 regulations keep guns out of the reach of criminals and help police to track weapons used to commit a crime,” he said in a statement.
These regulations are part of former Bill C-71, An Act to Amend Certain Acts and Regulations Relating to Firearms, which received Royal Assent in June 2019.
Additional provisions of the former bill came into force on July 7, 2021 to tighten applicant background checks and restore the requirement to apply for an authorization to transport a prohibited and restricted firearm to places other than than a shooting range or at home after a purchase.
With the ban on assault-style firearms and the strengthening of border protections, the government is putting in place various efforts to combat this crime, the minister said.
According to him, we must take into account the intersectionality of systemic challenges, including gender-based violence and racism, to address this public health issue.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com