Chief Firearms Officer (CFO)

Newest Update of This Page: 20 October 2022

Overview

  • Every Canadian province and territory has a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO).
  • The CFO is responsible for administering Canada’s anti-gun laws and regulations in their region.
  • The CFO is designated either by the federal government or by the provincial/territorial government.

CFO Duties

John Robert Ervin, a former Chief Firearms Officer for Saskatchewan, outlined his main duties to a Senate committee in June 2012:

  • Issuing and revoking firearm licences
  • Approving firearm purchases and sales
  • Issuing Authorizations To Transport firearms
  • Issuing Authorizations To Carry firearms
  • Approving shooting clubs and ranges
  • Administering the Canadian Firearms Safety Course
  • Approving and inspecting gun shops and other businesses

Opt-In Vs. Opt-Out

Policymakers sometimes label provinces/territories as “opt-in” or “opt-out” based on who designated the region’s CFO.

  • Opt-In: Provinces/territories that designate their own CFO.
  • Opt-Out: Provinces/territories that let the federal minister designate their CFO. It’s usually an employee of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Opt-Out Provinces and Territories: Feds Appoint CFO

  1. British Columbia (Shares CFO with Yukon)
  2. Manitoba (Shares CFO with Nunavut)
  3. Newfoundland and Labrador
  4. Northwest Territories
  5. Nunavut (Shares CFO with Manitoba)
  6. Yukon (Shares CFO with British Columbia)

Opt-In Provinces: Province Appoints CFO

  1. Alberta
  2. Ontario
  3. New Brunswick
  4. Nova Scotia
  5. Prince Edward Island
  6. Quebec
  7. Saskatchewan

Enabling Legislation

chief firearms officer means

(a) in respect of a province, the individual who is designated in writing as the chief firearms officer for the province by the provincial minister of that province,

(b) in respect of a territory, the individual who is designated in writing as the chief firearms officer for the territory by the federal Minister, or

(c) in respect of any matter for which there is no chief firearms officer under paragraph (a) or (b), the individual who is designated in writing as the chief firearms officer for the matter by the federal Minister; (contrôleur des armes à feu)

Source: Canada Firearms Act

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