A Historic Show of Unity: Canada's Three Largest Firearms Groups Speak With One Voice on ASFCP

In what may be an unprecedented alignment among Canada's major firearms advocacy organizations, the National Firearms Association (NFA), the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), and the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) are delivering an identical message to gun owners across the country: if you've registered a declaration with the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, withdraw your consent. If you haven't participated, don't.

A Voluntary Program

The ASFCP, launched in January 2026, was designed to compensate owners of firearms prohibited under the federal government's 2020 Order in Council ban. As Prime Minister Mark Carney made clear, participation in the program is entirely voluntary; owners were never legally required to register a declaration. To this end, the program's own terms and conditions confirm that those who have submitted declarations may withdraw their consent by contacting the program’s Contact Centre.

Additionally, owners who do withdraw are not left without legal protection: A federal Amnesty Order currently protects licensed owners of impacted firearms from criminal liability related to the possession of affected firearms until October 30, 2026, regardless of participation in the voluntary ASFCP. According to Public Safety Canada, that protection applies regardless of whether an owner has participated in the compensation program.

Supreme Court to Weigh In

A significant legal development is also shaping the calculus for firearms owners. The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear an appeal headed up by the CCFR challenging the federal government's authority to prohibit more than 2,500 types of firearms through an Order in Council. The top court will hear the CCFR's appeal together with cases led by Christine Generoux and Michael Doherty alongside industry members such as O'Dell Engineering Ltd and Wolverine Supplies, with the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan backing the challenge.

A final ruling is expected to be at least a year away, and the outcome remains uncertain. Should the court find in favour of the challengers, the prohibitions could be struck down. Legal observers have noted that the existence of an active Supreme Court challenge makes an extension of the current Amnesty Order likely, as allowing it to lapse while the matter remains before the court could expose owners to criminal liability for possessing firearms whose legal status has yet to be conclusively determined. 

What Owners Are Being Told

The NFA, CCFR, and CSSA have each advised their members that, given the legal uncertainty and questions surrounding the program's ability to deliver on its compensation commitments, participation in the ASFCP is not in owners' best interests at this time. All three groups have framed withdrawal as a straightforward exercise of the rights participants already hold under the program's own terms.

Owners who have submitted a declaration and wish to withdraw their consent can contact the ASFCP Contact Centre at 1-833-759-4551.