10/08/2026
New fi****ms legislation is now in effect across British Columbia, bringing new restrictions around where fi****ms can be possessed and how some guns and imitation fi****ms are transported.
(Article on Telegram, Discord and on X.)
Key Takeaways 👇
- Federal rules still govern. A PAL and compliance with the federal Fi***rms 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***rms, low-velocity guns (many ai***ns), and imitation fi****ms 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****ms and imitation fi****ms 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****ms 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.
