Verification of Firearms
The Canadian Firearms Program has launched a new process for verification of non-restricted firearms in order to facilitate registration. When an individual wishes to register or transfer a non-restricted firearm, the verification will now be done over the telephone by employees of the Firearms Program. While volunteer verifiers will no longer be performing such duties, businesses and police services will still need to have verifiers on staff to perform verification of the firearms in their inventory. If businesses wish to do so, they can continue to verify firearms for members of the public. In the case of shooting clubs, they will still be able to have verifiers on staff to help their clients with firearm verification.
In fact, only non-restricted firearms will be verified by telephone. Restricted and prohibited firearms will still require physical verification. However, this will not be done by members of the volunteer verifiers’ network. Only verifiers who are employees of businesses or shooting clubs as well as trained police officers and firearms officers will be authorized to physically verify firearms of these classes.
When conducting firearm verifications by telephone, employees of the Firearms Program will ask the client for a complete description of the firearm. It is very important that clients have their firearm with them when they call the Firearms Program, as the verification officer will ask them very precise questions. The verification officer will then compare that description with information found in the Firearms Reference Table (an RCMP tool that contains the complete description of every known firearm). If there are any discrepancies, the Firearms Program employee, acting under authority of the Registrar of Firearms, can require a physical verification of the firearm.
Since 1998, a network of volunteer verifiers has been set up to ensure the physical verification of firearms before they are registered. Thanks to their dedication and the time they have invested in providing free verification services, volunteer verifiers have been an incredible asset to the Firearms Program. During an extensive consultation exercise with verifiers and clients, issues were brought up concerning accessibility to verifiers in various areas of the country and concerning the costs that verifiers have to sometimes incur to perform their duties, such as those for travel and equipment. In light of these issues, the Firearms Program has modified its verification procedures to help clients and alleviate the burden on volunteer verifiers.
If you have any questions about the new verification process, please contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1 800 731-4000.
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