The Firearms Marking Regulations, initially developed in response to international marking requirements, came into force on were set to come into force on December 1, 2025, but an amendment has been introduced to further delay implementation to December 1, 2027, to provide additional preparatory time for industry compliance. Firearms tracing, the practice of tracking a firearm from manufacture or importation through the supply chain to the point it becomes illicit or lost, is central to law enforcement’s ability to combat illegal firearms activity. Currently, Canada does not legally require firearms to be marked, though most manufacturers voluntarily imprint serial numbers, make, model, manufacturer, and country of manufacture, while import markings are uncommon. Domestic marking, however, is essential to strengthen tracing capabilities, improve investigative efficiency, reduce smuggling and diversion to the illicit market, and support international cooperation in firearms investigations with agencies such as Interpol and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Canada has committed to international frameworks that emphasize firearms traceability, including the United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components, and Ammunition (UN Firearms Protocol) and the Organization of American States Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (OAS CIFTA). These instruments, aimed at combating firearms trafficking and preventing the diversion of legal firearms to organized crime, terrorists, and other criminal actors, obligate signatory states to implement marking regimes. Canada signed the OAS CIFTA in 1997 and the UN Firearms Protocol in 2002, though it has not ratified either treaty. Firearm marking obligations are also reflected in the 2005 UN International Tracing Instrument (ITI), which, while not legally binding, reinforces international commitment to timely identification and tracing of illicit small arms and light weapons under the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The Regulations, originally created in 2004, require permanent markings on the frame or receiver of all firearms manufactured or imported into Canada. Domestic firearms must display the manufacturer’s name, serial number, and “Canada” or “CA,” while imported firearms must carry “Canada” or “CA” and the last two digits of the year of import. The Regulations prescribe specific marking dimensions to ensure durability and prevent obliteration, enabling reliable tracing. Although introduced nearly two decades ago, the Regulations have been deferred multiple times due to industry requests for additional preparation time, initially from April 2006 to December 2007, and subsequently through numerous deferrals, with the latest extending the coming-into-force date from December 1, 2023, to December 1, 2025. During the deferral period, planned initiatives to increase industry awareness were not fully executed.

Canada (227/2025) December 9, 2025
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.