RCMP Clarifies New ATT Rules

If you have an Authorization to Transport a firearm, you don’t need to do anything to benefit from the simplified transportation rules that took effect today.

The new Authorization to Transport (ATT) conditions were added to existing licenses for anyone who has an ATT, the RCMP said on a “Questions and Answers” page on its website today.

The document addresses questions that many gun owners had about the new rules after the government announced the planned changes on July 31 as part of a new law. Some shooters thought they might need to specifically request a new licence or take other action.

Gun owners used to have to ask for permission from the police to transport their so-called “restricted” and “prohibited” firearms, such as handguns and AR-15 rifles, from the store to their homes, or to the target range or gunsmith. The new rules no longer require that.

Canada’s national Firearms Act has different licenses and rules for shooting, storing and transporting different types of guns. For example, you might be allowed to fire a shotgun or a big hunting rifle on your property, but not a handgun or an AR-15 rifle. The law also lets each province decide some rules for transporting some guns, so an authorization to transport a firearm in Alberta or Ontario isn’t valid in Quebec or Manitoba.

It makes your head spin.

The new ATT rules are a step toward logic and simplification, but we still have a long way to go.

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