Concealed carry in Canada is illegal for practically everyone. Section 90 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to carry any weapon in a concealed manner without a specific authorization under the Firearms Act, and those authorizations are limited to a small set of high-risk occupations and near-impossible life-protection cases.1Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 90 A standard firearms licence does not grant any right to carry, and the 2022 national handgun freeze — made permanent in December 2023 — has closed the door further.2Royal Canadian Mounted Police. What You Need to Know – Changes to Handgun Transfers
What the Law Actually Prohibits
Section 90 covers carrying a weapon, prohibited device, or prohibited ammunition in a concealed manner. The prohibition is not limited to firearms. Knives, brass knuckles, and other weapons all fall within its scope.1Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 90
The Criminal Code doesn’t spell out what “concealed” means, but Canadian courts have read the offence to require that the person deliberately hid the object to prevent detection and knew the object was a weapon. The Supreme Court of Canada has held that simply storing a firearm in a vehicle’s trunk isn’t concealment. The weapon has to be on or near your person in a way meant to keep it hidden from others.
Penalties are serious. If the Crown proceeds by indictment, the maximum is five years in prison.1Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 90 On summary conviction, you face up to two years less a day in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.3Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 787
A Firearms Licence Doesn’t Let You Carry
Every firearm in Canada requires a licence. A Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) covers non-restricted firearms; a Restricted PAL (RPAL) covers restricted firearms, which is where most handguns sit.4Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Classes of Firearms in Canada Getting either licence involves a safety course, written and practical tests, and a background check that looks at criminal history, mental health, and any history of domestic violence.
Neither licence authorizes carrying a firearm in public. They allow possession at home and, with separate authorization, transport to approved locations such as a shooting range. Everyday carry isn’t part of what these licences do.
The transport rules underline the point. A restricted firearm being moved must be unloaded, fitted with a trigger lock or other secure locking device, and stored in a locked, opaque container sturdy enough that it can’t easily be broken into or opened by accident. In an unattended vehicle with a trunk, the container has to be locked in the trunk; without a trunk, the vehicle has to be locked and the container hidden from view.5Department of Justice Canada. Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations These requirements are the opposite of concealed carry: secured, inaccessible, and clearly not on your person.
On top of that, Bill C-21 made the national handgun freeze permanent when it received royal assent on December 15, 2023. Individuals can no longer buy, import, or transfer handguns to other individuals unless the recipient is in a small set of exempted categories such as law enforcement. Existing owners can keep registered handguns but can only dispose of them by selling to an exempt individual or a licensed business, lawfully exporting them, having them deactivated, or surrendering them for destruction without compensation.2Royal Canadian Mounted Police. What You Need to Know – Changes to Handgun Transfers
The Authorization to Carry Exception
The Firearms Act does allow for an Authorization to Carry (ATC), but Section 20 limits it to two situations: protection of life, or use in connection with a lawful occupation.6Justice Laws Website. Firearms Act SC 1995 c 39 – Section 20 The regulations narrow both categories to the point where they’re essentially closed to ordinary civilians.
Protection of Life
To qualify on life-protection grounds, an applicant has to show all three of the following: their life or someone else’s is in imminent danger from another person, police protection is not sufficient, and possessing a restricted firearm can reasonably be justified to prevent death or serious bodily harm.7Department of Justice Canada. Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations Successful applications are exceptionally rare. The government has withheld the number of ATCs issued for protection from human threats under the Access to Information Act on security grounds, which gives some sense of the scale.
Occupational Purposes
Work-related ATCs are limited to three categories: armoured car workers whose principal activity involves handling cash or valuables, people working in remote wilderness areas who need protection from wild animals, and licensed trappers.7Department of Justice Canada. Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations The vast majority of issued ATCs go to armoured car personnel.
Applicants for life-protection or armoured car ATCs must complete training in firearms proficiency and use of force before the authorization is granted.7Department of Justice Canada. Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations An ATC holder can carry only one firearm at a time, and it must be carried in a holster.
Firearms Aren’t a Self-Defense Tool Under Canadian Law
Canada has no legal right to carry a firearm for personal protection. Using one against another person, even in a real emergency, creates serious legal exposure.
Section 34 of the Criminal Code provides a defense, not a right to act. It succeeds only when three conditions are met: you reasonably believed force was being used or threatened against you, you acted to defend against that threat, and your response was reasonable in the circumstances.8Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 34 Reasonableness is where firearms cases tend to fail.
Courts consider the nature and imminence of the threat, whether other options were available, whether any party used or threatened a weapon, the relative size and physical capabilities of everyone involved, and the proportionality of the response.8Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 34 Canada has no formal duty to retreat, but the availability of retreat is one of the factors weighed. Standing your ground when you could have safely withdrawn makes the reasonableness argument much harder.
And even if the defense ultimately succeeds, charges come first. Using a firearm against another person will likely bring a charge of assault with a weapon, carrying up to ten years in prison as an indictable offence.9Department of Justice Canada. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 267 Section 88, possessing a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, carries the same maximum.
What About Pepper Spray, Tasers, and Knives
The concealed carry prohibition covers weapons generally, and many items people consider carrying for personal protection are outright prohibited in Canada.
Pepper spray, mace, and any device designed to incapacitate a person through chemical discharge are prohibited weapons. Stun guns and tasers under 480 mm in length, push daggers, belt-buckle knives, one-handed crossbows, and various martial arts weapons are all banned.10Department of Justice Canada. Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted Possessing any of them is a criminal offence regardless of why you have it.
Bear spray sits in a grey area. It’s legal to buy and carry if the label clearly states it’s intended for use on animals and the canister doesn’t exceed 500 ml.11Parks Canada. Bear Spray – Bears in the Mountain National Parks Carrying it with the intention of using it against people, or actually deploying it on a person, can bring weapons and assault charges even if you were defending yourself. The law looks at what you intended to do with the item, not just what the item is.
A knife carried openly for a lawful purpose is a different question from a knife hidden on your body to prevent detection. Section 90 turns on the concealment and the intent, so a knife tucked out of sight in a way that suggests it’s kept for use as a weapon can bring the same offence as a hidden firearm.
Visitors Bringing Firearms Into Canada
Traveling to Canada with a firearm for hunting or sport shooting is possible, but a declaration at the border is not a carry permit. Fill out a Non-Resident Firearms Declaration (RCMP Form 5589) before arrival, but do not sign it in advance. Your signature must be witnessed by a Canada Border Services Agency officer at the port of entry. The fee is $25, and the signed declaration serves as a temporary licence valid for 60 days.12Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Non-Residents
The declaration covers only the firearms listed on it and only the person who signed it. More than two firearms requires a continuation sheet (RCMP Form 5590). The temporary licence lets you buy ammunition for the listed firearms in Canada, but it doesn’t let you borrow firearms while you’re in the country.12Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Non-Residents You can renew the declaration for free before it expires by contacting the Chief Firearms Officer in the relevant province or territory.
If you already hold a Canadian PAL and have registration certificates for any restricted firearms, the declaration form isn’t required, but you still have to declare your firearms orally to a CBSA officer. Failing to declare is a serious offence and can lead to arrest, seizure, monetary penalties, criminal prosecution, and inadmissibility to Canada. You must be at least 18 to bring a firearm into the country.12Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Non-Residents
None of this paperwork authorizes concealed carry. It allows legal transport and possession of declared firearms under the same strict rules that apply to Canadian licence holders, which means unloaded, locked, and out of sight during movement — not on your person.