10/07/2026
While on the books for many years, which we vehemently disagreed with, the new provincial laws came into effect on October 1st. Please see breakdown below. So far the club/range portion did not come into force. May raise some good questions for the election candidates.
New fi***rms legislation is now in effect across British Columbia, bringing new restrictions around where fi***rms can be possessed and how some guns and imitation fi***rms are transported.
(Article on Telegram, Discord and on X.)
Key Takeaways 👇
- Federal rules still govern. A PAL and compliance with the federal Fi****ms Act and storage/transport regulations remain the baseline. The FVPA sits on top of that and is enforceable by provincial tickets and charges.
- Loaded fi***rm in a vehicle or boat. Still prohibited. The ticket is now $575 (previously $230 under the old provincial Fi***rm Act). “Loaded” includes a magazine in or attached to the fi***rm, and a safety on does not make it unloaded.
- Discharge from a vehicle or boat. Prohibited, with a $1,150 ticket. Hunting exemption: for provincially managed species you may have a loaded fi***rm and discharge from a boat that is not being propelled by its motor. Migratory birds stay under federal rules.
- Unsafe use, transport, carry, or storage. Using, transporting, carrying, or storing a fi***rm in a way that risks a person’s safety or property is an offence, ticketed at $1,150.
- Paying ticketed offences. Paying, or failing to dispute, a ticket for unsafe use, a loaded fi***rm in a vehicle or boat, or discharge from a vehicle or boat counts as a guilty plea and can support a provincial court order barring fi***rm possession, plus forfeiture of a seized fi***rm. Unpaid fines on key offences can also cancel a hunting licence.
- Illegal transport in a vehicle. It is an offence to operate a vehicle carrying a fi***rm if no occupant is federally authorized to possess it, or if it is not transported under federal rules. A properly licensed occupant transporting to federal standard is not caught by this. Maximum for an individual is $5,000 and 12 months.
- Designated properties. Fi****ms, low-velocity guns (many ai***ns), and imitation fi***rms are banned on school property, licensed child-care property, post-secondary campuses, hospitals, courts, and places of worship. Temporary presence in a vehicle is generally allowed if the fi***rm is transported to federal standard, except on court property. Other exemptions (training, competitions, film work, and similar) are narrow and usually need written approval from the property.
- Ai***ns and replicas. Low-velocity fi***rms and imitation fi***rms in a vehicle or boat must be in a locked trunk or compartment, or a locked opaque container ($575 ticket if not). Sale or paid supply to anyone under 18 is banned unless the minor holds a federal fi***rms licence.
- Not yet in force. Vehicle impoundment for illegal fi***rm transport or fleeing police, and the range identification rules, were not brought into force on October 1. Impoundment is expected in 2027.
- New practical risks for licensed gun owners. Higher ticket costs for offences, a ban on designated properties, and linking a paid ticket offence to a prohibition (ban) order.
