C-21An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on May 30, 2022
- Status
- Became law on December 15, 2023 · S.C. 2023, c. 32
What it does
Changes federal firearms, nuclear security and immigration rules, including new offences, licence limits and new powers for security officers.
What it does
- Raises the maximum prison sentence from 10 to 14 years for certain indictable weapons offences under the Criminal Code.
- Creates a process for emergency prohibition orders and emergency limits on access, and lets a judge protect the security of the person or anyone known to them.
- Changes Firearms Act rules on licences and handgun transfers, including blocking some people with protection orders, domestic violence or stalking from holding a licence, and limiting handgun transfers to businesses and exempted individuals.
- Creates new offences for altering a cartridge magazine beyond its lawful capacity and for advertising a firearm in a way that depicts, counsels or promotes violence against a person.
- Lets certain federal security employees be treated as public officers for a Criminal Code weapons provision, and gives nuclear security officers and on-site nuclear response force members peace officer duties at high-security nuclear sites.
- Changes immigration rules so certain offences on entering Canada can make a foreign national inadmissible, and requires the annual firearms report to include certain law enforcement disclosures and be filed by May 31.
Who it affects
- Gun owners and licence holders
- People subject to protection orders
- Businesses that sell firearms
- Law enforcement agencies
- Federal security staff
- High-security nuclear sites
- Foreign nationals entering Canada
Background
The bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 30 May 2022. It amends the Criminal Code, the Firearms Act, the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)
Vote 333,
Passed
207 yeato113 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 333 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea2 broke ranks 147 2 7 Conservative Nay 0 110 5 Bloc Yea 32 0 0 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Split evenly 1 1 1 Total 207 113 Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) (recommittal to a committee)
Vote 332,
Failed
110 yeato209 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 332 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 149 7 Conservative Yea 109 0 6 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Nay 0 25 0 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay1 broke ranks 1 2 0 Total 110 209 Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)
Vote 330,
Passed
205 yeato111 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 330 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 145 0 11 Conservative Nay 0 110 5 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea1 broke ranks 2 1 0 Total 205 111 Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) (report stage amendment)
Vote 329,
Passed
316 yeato0 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 329 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 145 0 11 Conservative Yea 110 0 5 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 3 0 0 Total 316 0 Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) (report stage amendment)
Vote 328,
Passed
203 yeato111 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 328 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 143 0 13 Conservative Nay 0 110 5 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea1 broke ranks 2 1 0 Total 203 111 Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) (report stage amendment)
Vote 327,
Failed
110 yeato203 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 327 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 143 13 Conservative Yea 109 0 6 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Nay 0 25 0 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay1 broke ranks 1 2 0 Total 110 203 Party breakdown for vote 174 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 148 0 11 Conservative Nay 0 115 4 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 206 115 Party breakdown for vote 173 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 148 11 Conservative Yea 115 0 4 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Nay 0 24 1 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay 0 1 0 Total 115 206 2nd reading of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) (subamendment)
Vote 172,
Failed
115 yeato206 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 172 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 148 11 Conservative Yea 115 0 4 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Nay 0 24 1 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay 0 1 0 Total 115 206 Time allocation for Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)
Vote 162,
Passed
170 yeato150 nay
Party breakdown for vote 162 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 149 0 10 Conservative Nay 0 117 2 Bloc Nay 0 30 2 NDP Yea 21 0 4 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay 0 1 0 Total 170 150
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalMarco Mendicino· June 9, 2022
“Bill C-21 represents the culmination of the advice we have received from so many constituencies, including from survivors and many others, which I will come to momentarily, to take that additional step to do better.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeRaquel Dancho· June 9, 2022
“I am very honoured to put words on the record concerning Bill C-21. We have a very serious gun violence problem in the country, one that Conservatives across the country are deeply concerned about.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocKristina Michaud· June 9, 2022
“I am very pleased to finally speak to Bill C-21. We had almost given up hope of hearing about a gun control bill before the end of the parliamentary session.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPAlistair MacGregor· June 9, 2022
“I am pleased to be joining colleagues from all parties in this debate tonight on Bill C-21. I want to acknowledge the time I have enjoyed as the NDP's public safety critic.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caGreenElizabeth May· June 21, 2022
“It relates to Bill C-21, and that is the use of firearms. I want to comment on some of the discussion during question period about the Portapique shootings.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.