Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Bringing guns into Canada is not as difficult as you may have heard, but there are some red-tape that you must accept. First, in this discussion I am referring to transporting guns through Canada either too Alaska or back from Alaska. I am also assuming you are 18 years old or older.
The first thing to know, and one of the first questions they will ask you at the border is where you are going in Canada. Non-residents are NOT allowed to even transport a gun through a National Park in Canada. If you are declaring any guns and admit to wanting to see Banff (or any other National Park), you will be denied the permit. So, choose your words carefully when answering this question. If you lie and are caught with a gun in a National Park as a non-resident, that is on you. I doubt they will go easy on you.
Long guns (guns over 26" in total length) are mostly accepted as long as they are bolt, lever, or pump action, or semi-auto with no more than 5 round capacity. These are easily transported through Canada by;
1) Downloading and filling out the Non-Resident Firearm Declaration (Form RCMP 5589 / CAFC 909). You do not want to sign the document until instructed by the border guards. The cost to declaring long guns is $25 (for them all, not each).
2) Ammo does not need to be declared in the same way, but you will be asked about it. Be honest, but be aware that there are limits based on what you will be doing with your guns while in Canada. For "hunting" you are limited to a fairly low (a few hundred) number of bullets you can bring. "Competition" allows more, but not as much as you may think. "Personal use", such as protection from bears and other wildlife, allows you to posses thousands of bullets (5000 I believe), so if asked there is your answer.
3) Once declared and accepted, the document becomes your "permit" to possess those specified guns in Canada for 2-months. Keep it with you (or the guns) at all times. You will need to renew it after that time, but you may use the same paperwork at that time too.
4) You are bound to the laws of Storing, Transporting and Displaying Firearms which is much like same laws in many parts of the USA. Basically, you will have them in a locked case (or trigger locked) with the ammo stored in a locked case (same case as firearm is permitted) and located in a different compartment of the car then you. In cars that do not have a different compartment (such as a van) they should be stored as far from the driver as possible. If leaving the vehicle, they should remain locked in the trunk and/or out of view and the vehicle should be locked. If you are pulled over for any reason you should inform the Mountie and show him your paperwork.
For the long guns, that is it. Pretty straight forward and very few issues that will pop up. Don't expect to bring your AK-47 into Canada, but a Shotgun or large caliber bolt/lever action rifle will be no problem. Those are the rifles you want in Canada/Alaska anyway (for bear protection).
http://canada.usembassy.gov/traveling_to_canada/bringing-weapons-into-canada.html
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/information/visit/index-eng.htm
Handguns are a whole different story...
Most handguns are NOT permitted. Anything with a 4" or smaller barrel is not. Anything with a capacity of 10 bullets or more is not. This does not leave many handguns on the allowed-list, but there are a few such as large revolvers. Even still, transporting a hand gun through Canada requires a special permit. This permit you must get BEFORE showing up at the border and can only be done by contacting the Royal Mounted Canadian Police, which I did. I was informed that they do in fact issue these permits, but you have only 7 days to complete your business in Canada. On the 8th day, that permit expires and you definitely do not want to have a handgun on you on that day. Requesting the permit takes 10-days (minimum) and can only be done via mail. They will reply back via the mail as well.
Now, I would go on to tell you the steps in how to accomplish this but I am going to stop here and tell you what I have been told by countless Firearm Dealers; If I were to get that permit, they want a photo of it, as they have never seen one before. Basically, while the RCMP has a program to issue these permits, they never, ever, ever do. Even Alaska law enforcement officers are denied a Canadian pistol permit, so the chances of average Joe getting one is exactly 0.00%.
Instead, I am going to tell you how to get your pistol to Alaska if you so wish... the easiest way is to ship it, but you must understand some American laws before you do attempt to ship a handgun.
1) You may only buy a handgun in your HOME state * (see your drivers license for which state is your HOME state)
2) You may only ship a handgun to a federal firearms dealer (FFL), such as a gun shop
3) You may only take possession of a handgun from any FFL in your home state... see the problem?
* a half-truth. You can often "buy" it but not take possession of it until it is shipped to your home state
If you ship your gun to a FFL in a different state, he can not give it to you in any state other than your home state. So, in my case I was going from Colorado to Alaska. The handgun would make the trip, only to be re-shipped back to Colorado where I could take possession of it. Stupid right? Yea...
Luckily, the ATF tells you just how to work around those laws (even more stupid that a Federal Agency tells you how to bypass a Federal Law) See top of page 4 of this PDF
In summary;
1) You must ship the package to a FFL (don't ship the bullets)
2) You must address the package "in care of" your own name but to the address of the FFL
3) That FFL should know ahead of time that it is coming and agree to NOT open that package. By Federal Law is not allowed to open any package addressed to your name.
4) Since he never opens the package he never legally takes possession of the gun so you may retrieve it from him without a background check or the need to be a resident of that state. Basically, he is giving you a package, not a gun... thank you ATF for that info!
5) expect to pay that FFL a fee (mine was $30 and $35) for that service.
Here is the other problem with shipping a gun to another state; you may NOT use the US Postal Service to ship handguns unless you are an FFL.
Since private individuals may not ship a handgun via USPS, you are left with UPS or FedEx and both of those companies will do so ONLY with over-night shipping. Before you ask... YES, you are required by law to declare the gun to UPS/FedEx and once you do it is over-night shipping only. How much does that cost? For me it costed $118 to ship a single handgun from Kallispell, Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska. So, the total cost including picking the gun up for an FFL in Fairbanks was $148.
Another less costly option is to bypass UPS and FedEx by going to a local FFL and have them ship your gun to another FFL in the other state. Since a FFL may use USPS and do not have to ship over-night, it is significantly cheaper. I shipped my handgun back to the lower-48 this way at a cost of $60 + $35 for the FFL in Washington State. More than $50 savings one way.
Ship your magazines with your handgun! If you have pistol magazines with capacity greater than 10 rounds you will not be allowed in Canada. Since you can not ship your pistol ammo, you will be carrying it through Canada. That is OK, but keep your handgun shipping receipt nearby, you will be asked for it at the border crossing after you honestly answer their questions about what ammo you are carrying.
The first thing to know, and one of the first questions they will ask you at the border is where you are going in Canada. Non-residents are NOT allowed to even transport a gun through a National Park in Canada. If you are declaring any guns and admit to wanting to see Banff (or any other National Park), you will be denied the permit. So, choose your words carefully when answering this question. If you lie and are caught with a gun in a National Park as a non-resident, that is on you. I doubt they will go easy on you.
Long guns (guns over 26" in total length) are mostly accepted as long as they are bolt, lever, or pump action, or semi-auto with no more than 5 round capacity. These are easily transported through Canada by;
1) Downloading and filling out the Non-Resident Firearm Declaration (Form RCMP 5589 / CAFC 909). You do not want to sign the document until instructed by the border guards. The cost to declaring long guns is $25 (for them all, not each).
2) Ammo does not need to be declared in the same way, but you will be asked about it. Be honest, but be aware that there are limits based on what you will be doing with your guns while in Canada. For "hunting" you are limited to a fairly low (a few hundred) number of bullets you can bring. "Competition" allows more, but not as much as you may think. "Personal use", such as protection from bears and other wildlife, allows you to posses thousands of bullets (5000 I believe), so if asked there is your answer.
3) Once declared and accepted, the document becomes your "permit" to possess those specified guns in Canada for 2-months. Keep it with you (or the guns) at all times. You will need to renew it after that time, but you may use the same paperwork at that time too.
4) You are bound to the laws of Storing, Transporting and Displaying Firearms which is much like same laws in many parts of the USA. Basically, you will have them in a locked case (or trigger locked) with the ammo stored in a locked case (same case as firearm is permitted) and located in a different compartment of the car then you. In cars that do not have a different compartment (such as a van) they should be stored as far from the driver as possible. If leaving the vehicle, they should remain locked in the trunk and/or out of view and the vehicle should be locked. If you are pulled over for any reason you should inform the Mountie and show him your paperwork.
For the long guns, that is it. Pretty straight forward and very few issues that will pop up. Don't expect to bring your AK-47 into Canada, but a Shotgun or large caliber bolt/lever action rifle will be no problem. Those are the rifles you want in Canada/Alaska anyway (for bear protection).
http://canada.usembassy.gov/traveling_to_canada/bringing-weapons-into-canada.html
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/information/visit/index-eng.htm
Handguns are a whole different story...
Most handguns are NOT permitted. Anything with a 4" or smaller barrel is not. Anything with a capacity of 10 bullets or more is not. This does not leave many handguns on the allowed-list, but there are a few such as large revolvers. Even still, transporting a hand gun through Canada requires a special permit. This permit you must get BEFORE showing up at the border and can only be done by contacting the Royal Mounted Canadian Police, which I did. I was informed that they do in fact issue these permits, but you have only 7 days to complete your business in Canada. On the 8th day, that permit expires and you definitely do not want to have a handgun on you on that day. Requesting the permit takes 10-days (minimum) and can only be done via mail. They will reply back via the mail as well.
Now, I would go on to tell you the steps in how to accomplish this but I am going to stop here and tell you what I have been told by countless Firearm Dealers; If I were to get that permit, they want a photo of it, as they have never seen one before. Basically, while the RCMP has a program to issue these permits, they never, ever, ever do. Even Alaska law enforcement officers are denied a Canadian pistol permit, so the chances of average Joe getting one is exactly 0.00%.
Instead, I am going to tell you how to get your pistol to Alaska if you so wish... the easiest way is to ship it, but you must understand some American laws before you do attempt to ship a handgun.
1) You may only buy a handgun in your HOME state * (see your drivers license for which state is your HOME state)
2) You may only ship a handgun to a federal firearms dealer (FFL), such as a gun shop
3) You may only take possession of a handgun from any FFL in your home state... see the problem?
* a half-truth. You can often "buy" it but not take possession of it until it is shipped to your home state
If you ship your gun to a FFL in a different state, he can not give it to you in any state other than your home state. So, in my case I was going from Colorado to Alaska. The handgun would make the trip, only to be re-shipped back to Colorado where I could take possession of it. Stupid right? Yea...
Luckily, the ATF tells you just how to work around those laws (even more stupid that a Federal Agency tells you how to bypass a Federal Law) See top of page 4 of this PDF
In summary;
1) You must ship the package to a FFL (don't ship the bullets)
2) You must address the package "in care of" your own name but to the address of the FFL
3) That FFL should know ahead of time that it is coming and agree to NOT open that package. By Federal Law is not allowed to open any package addressed to your name.
4) Since he never opens the package he never legally takes possession of the gun so you may retrieve it from him without a background check or the need to be a resident of that state. Basically, he is giving you a package, not a gun... thank you ATF for that info!
5) expect to pay that FFL a fee (mine was $30 and $35) for that service.
Here is the other problem with shipping a gun to another state; you may NOT use the US Postal Service to ship handguns unless you are an FFL.
Since private individuals may not ship a handgun via USPS, you are left with UPS or FedEx and both of those companies will do so ONLY with over-night shipping. Before you ask... YES, you are required by law to declare the gun to UPS/FedEx and once you do it is over-night shipping only. How much does that cost? For me it costed $118 to ship a single handgun from Kallispell, Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska. So, the total cost including picking the gun up for an FFL in Fairbanks was $148.
Another less costly option is to bypass UPS and FedEx by going to a local FFL and have them ship your gun to another FFL in the other state. Since a FFL may use USPS and do not have to ship over-night, it is significantly cheaper. I shipped my handgun back to the lower-48 this way at a cost of $60 + $35 for the FFL in Washington State. More than $50 savings one way.
Ship your magazines with your handgun! If you have pistol magazines with capacity greater than 10 rounds you will not be allowed in Canada. Since you can not ship your pistol ammo, you will be carrying it through Canada. That is OK, but keep your handgun shipping receipt nearby, you will be asked for it at the border crossing after you honestly answer their questions about what ammo you are carrying.
