By Goverment of Saskatchewan

Province to Introduce Amendments to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act

Nov 27, 2025 | 11:40 AM

The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced amendments to The Saskatchewan Firearms Act.

The amendments are in response to the federal government’s decision to move forward with its national buyback program to remove more than 2,500 firearms models reclassified as prohibited by federal legislation since 2020.

The legislation proposes that anyone who seizes a firearm under new federal firearms laws must pay the owner fair market value as determined by the Saskatchewan Firearms Commissioner.

Firearms will be deemed to be as “seized” in Saskatchewan if both the firearm is impacted by federal firearms legislation or bans and the owner does not receive fair market compensation within 12 months of the federal legislation or ban coming into effect.

The Government of Saskatchewan continues to advocate for alternatives to the federal buyback program; however, the amendments to The Saskatchewan Firearms Act will help ensure those impacted by the federal government’s decisions can receive fair market value for their property.

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“The amendments we are introducing will promote public safety and help safeguard the heritage of law-abiding firearms owners by holding the federal government accountable for providing fair compensation to all affected Saskatchewan firearms owners,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod, K.C. said. “Rather than targeting law-abiding firearms owners, we believe our approach of providing law enforcement with the tools and expertise they need to secure and protect Saskatchewan communities from illegal firearms is a more effective firearms safety measure.”

The federal government has stated that funding for the buyback program will be capped at $742 million and compensation will be offered on a “first-come, first-served” approach, with no guarantees of compensation once the funding cap is reached.

To help ensure all affected Saskatchewan firearms owners receive fair compensation from the federal government, an online portal will soon be launched to provide appraisals for all firearms, ammunition and accessories impacted by federal legislation.

Saskatchewan firearms owners will then be able to use the appraisals as evidence in court to hold the federal government accountable for providing fair compensation to all those affected by their legislation.

“Individuals should not be criminalized for having a firearms licence and owning legally-obtained property,” Saskatchewan Firearms Office (SFO) Commissioner Robert Freberg said. “Lawful firearms owners are not causing public safety concerns in our communities. The firearms affected by the federal government’s reclassification, which are currently legally owned by individuals and businesses, are rarely used in criminal activities across Canada. The real concerns are firearms that have been smuggled in from the United States or those that have been illegally modified for use in gang and illegal drug activities.”

The amendments will also allow the SFO to collect and store firearms on behalf of Saskatchewan firearms owners who wish to voluntarily turn in their firearms. This will ensure firearms owners do not face potential criminal charges for possessing prohibited firearms while they pursue compensation from the federal government.

Additional amendments include:

• Enabling medical professionals to report patients to the SFO if they have a medical condition that may impact their ability to use or possess firearms safely; and
• Allowing the Chief Firearms Officer to inspect firearms ranges and clubs and designate firearms safety instructors in the province.

The provincial government and SFO will continue to advocate against the buyback program and encourage the federal government to invest in initiatives that will address firearms smuggling and the use of illegal firearms in criminal activities, such as the recently established Saskatchewan Ballistics Laboratory.