Prohibited firearms: storage, display and transport
This page covers SOR/98-209 s.7, the storage rule for prohibited firearms. If your firearm became prohibited because an Order in Council reclassified it, a different rule applies to you — read the next box first.
If an Order in Council reclassified your firearm, this is not your rule
The 2020, 2024 and 2025 Orders in Council moved more than 2,500 makes and models into the prohibited class. Owners covered by the Amnesty Orders store those firearms according to the firearm's class the day before the prohibition took effect — so under s.5 if it was non-restricted, or s.6 if it was restricted, not under s.7 below. There is also no official route to fly with one.
These are not airport rules
These are storage and handling rules under the Firearms Act. They are not airport rules. Satisfying them does not mean an airline will carry your firearm, and aviation security requires a locked hard-sided container that these rules do not.
Storing it at home
The two routes mirror those for restricted firearms — a secure locking device and a locked container, or a vault, safe or room built or modified specifically for prohibited firearms — with one addition. For an automatic firearm with a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, the container route also requires that part to be removed and stored in a different locked room. That condition sits inside the container route, so the purpose-built vault route does not carry it.
Each rule is shown twice where both exist: the regulation’s own wording, and the RCMP’s plain-language version of it. Where they differ in detail, the regulation is the text that governs.
SOR/98-209 s.7 permits an individual to store a prohibited firearm only if it is unloaded, and either (i) it is rendered inoperable by a secure locking device AND stored in a securely locked container, receptacle or room that cannot readily be broken open or into - and, if it is an automatic firearm with a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, that bolt or bolt-carrier is removed and stored in a different securely locked room - or (ii) it is stored in a securely locked vault, safe or room specifically constructed or modified for the secure storage of prohibited firearms. Ammunition must not be readily accessible unless it is in a securely locked container or such a vault/safe/room.
What the source says — Provision 77 An individual may store a prohibited firearm only if (a) it is unloaded; (b) it is (i) rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device and stored in a container, receptacle or room that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into, and, if the prohibited firearm is an automatic firearm that has a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, the bolt or bolt-carrier is removed and stored in a room that is different from the room in which the automatic firearm is stored, that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into, or (ii) stored in a vault, safe or room that has been specifically constructed or modified for the secure storage of prohibited firearms and that is kept securely locked; and (c) it is not readily accessible to ammunition, unless the ammunition is stored, together with or separately from the firearm, in (i) a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into, or (ii) a vault, safe or room that has been specifically constructed or modified for the secure storage of prohibited firearms and that is kept securely locked.
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 30 November 2012
Regulation currency: current to 2026-09-30, last amended 2012-11-30
The RCMP states restricted and prohibited firearms must have a secure locking device attached AND be locked in a cabinet, container or room that is difficult to break into, OR be locked in a vault, safe or room built or modified specifically for firearm storage. Automatic firearms must additionally have removable bolts or bolt carriers removed and be locked in a separate room that is difficult to break into.
What the source saysAttach a secure locking device so the firearms cannot be fired and lock them in a cabinet, container or room that is difficult to break into; or Lock the firearms in a vault, safe or room that was built or modified specifically to store firearms safely. For automatic firearms, also remove the bolts or bolt carriers (if removable) and lock them in a separate room that is difficult to break into.
Source: rcmp.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 12 November 2024
Displaying it
The regulation treats restricted and prohibited firearms together for display inside a dwelling-house, and sets separate conditions for other places — including, for automatic firearms, the same bolt-separation requirement.
SOR/98-209 s.9(1) permits an individual to display a restricted or prohibited firearm in a dwelling-house only if it is unloaded, rendered inoperable by a secure locking device, securely attached to a non-portable structure so it cannot readily be removed, and not displayed with or readily accessible to ammunition that can be discharged from it; and for an automatic firearm with a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, that part is removed and stored in a different securely locked room.
What the source says — Provision 9(1)9 (1) An individual may display a restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm in a dwelling-house only if (a) the restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is unloaded; (b) the restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device; (c) the restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is securely attached to a non-portable structure in such a manner that it cannot readily be removed; (d) the restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is not displayed with and is not readily accessible to ammunition that can be discharged from it; and (e) in the case of an automatic firearm that has a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, the bolt or bolt-carrier is removed and stored in a room that is different from the room in which the automatic firearm is displayed, that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into.
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 30 November 2012
Regulation currency: current to 2026-09-30, last amended 2012-11-30
The RCMP states a displayed restricted or prohibited firearm must have a secure locking device attached AND be securely attached to something that cannot be moved, and that the bolts or bolt carriers must be removed from any automatic firearms if removable.
What the source saysAttach secure locking devices to the firearms; and Securely attach them to something that cannot be moved. Remove the bolts or bolt carriers from any automatic firearms (if removable).
Source: rcmp.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 12 November 2024
SOR/98-209 s.9(2) and s.9(3) permit display of a restricted or prohibited firearm somewhere other than a dwelling-house only if it is unloaded, rendered inoperable by a secure locking device, securely attached by a chain, metal cable or similar device to the structure it is displayed on so it cannot readily be removed, and not displayed with or readily accessible to dischargeable ammunition unless that ammunition is in a securely locked container; for prohibited automatic firearms the bolt or bolt-carrier must also be removed to a different securely locked room. Under s.9(4) the attachment requirement does not apply while the firearm is detached so it can be handled under the direct and immediate supervision of the individual displaying it.
What the source says — Provision 9(2), 9(3), 9(4)(2) An individual may display a restricted firearm in a place other than a dwelling-house only if it (a) is unloaded; (b) is rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device; (c) is, subject to subsection (4), securely attached to a structure on which it is displayed by a chain, metal cable or similar device in such a manner that the restricted firearm cannot readily be removed; and (d) is not displayed with and is not readily accessible to ammunition that can be discharged from it, unless the ammunition is displayed in a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into. (3) An individual may display a prohibited firearm in a place other than a dwelling-house only if (a) the prohibited firearm is unloaded; (b) the prohibited firearm is rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device; (c) the prohibited firearm is, subject to subsection (4), securely attached to a structure on which it is displayed by a chain, metal cable or similar device in such a manner that the prohibited firearm cannot readily be removed; (d) the prohibited firearm is not displayed with and is not readily accessible to ammunition that can be discharged from it, unless the ammunition is displayed in a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into; and (e) in the case of an automatic firearm that has a removable bolt or bolt-carrier, the bolt or bolt-carrier is removed and stored in a room that is different from the room in which the automatic firearm is displayed, that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into. (4) Paragraphs (2)(c) and (3)(c) do not apply if the firearm is detached from the structure so that the firearm may be handled by a person under the direct and immediate supervision of the individual displaying it.
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 30 November 2012
Regulation currency: current to 2026-09-30, last amended 2012-11-30
Transporting it
SOR/98-209 s.12 is the ordinary transport section for prohibited firearms. For a firearm prohibited by an Order in Council, the Amnesty Order replaces it with its own closed list of permitted purposes and conditions, which is on the OIC page.
Section 12 states that an individual may transport a prohibited firearm only if it is unloaded, rendered inoperable by a secure locking device, has the bolt or bolt-carrier removed if it is an automatic firearm where that is removable with reasonable facility, and is in a locked opaque container.
What the source says12 An individual may transport a prohibited firearm only if (a) it is unloaded; (b) it is rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device; (c) if it is an automatic firearm that has a bolt or bolt-carrier that is removable with reasonable facility, the bolt or bolt-carrier is removed; (d) it is in a locked container that is made of an opaque material and is of such strength, construction and nature that it cannot readily be broken open or into or accidentally opened during transportation
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 15 October 2026
Regulation currency: current to 2026-09-30, last amended 2012-11
Ammunition
As with every class, the ammunition rule is paragraph (c) of the storage section — a securely locked container, or a vault, safe or room built for prohibited firearms.
SOR/98-209 has no section dedicated to ammunition storage. The ammunition requirement is paragraph (c) of each firearm storage section - s.5(1)(c) for non-restricted, s.6(c) for restricted and s.7(c) for prohibited firearms. In each case the firearm must not be readily accessible to ammunition unless the ammunition is kept in a securely locked container or receptacle, which may be the same one holding the firearm; for restricted and prohibited firearms a purpose-built locked vault, safe or room is an accepted alternative. For display the parallel provisions are s.8(c), s.9(1)(d), s.9(2)(d) and s.9(3)(d).
What the source says — Provision 5(1)(c), 6(c), 7(c)(c) it is not readily accessible to ammunition, unless the ammunition is stored, together with or separately from the firearm, in a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into.
Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 30 November 2012
Regulation currency: current to 2026-09-30, last amended 2012-11-30
The RCMP states ammunition must be stored separately from firearms or locked up, and may be stored in the same locked container as the firearms.
What the source saysStore the ammunition separately or lock it up. It can be stored in the same locked container as the firearms.
Source: rcmp.ca Verified 1 November 2026
Official page last modified: 12 November 2024
Where this page stops
FlyerArms publishes no flight steps for a prohibited firearm, because no official source sets out a route to fly with one. It also does not advise on acquiring, disposing of or deactivating one. For anything beyond the storage and display rules quoted above, the Canadian Firearms Program is the authority: 1-800-731-4000.