Saskatchewan Proposes Exemption Certificates for Gun Owners Subject to Federal Buyback

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe gestures while speaking during a press conference before the speech from the throne, in Regina on Oct. 22, 2025. The Canadian Press/Heywood Yu

The government of Saskatchewan is proposing additional amendments to the province’s firearms act to let firearms owners and businesses apply for a certificate of exemption from the federal gun buyback program.

The certificates would allow the gun owners to continue to store their “lawfully-owned, but now prohibited” firearms, the province said in a March 11 news release.

The province says its proposed amendments to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act intend to help gun owners and businesses in the province receive “fair compensation for their property that has been targeted by federal legislation.”

The exemption certificates will be issued under Section 117.08 of the Criminal Code. The section exempts individuals from criminal charges if they act “on behalf of, and under the authority of, a police force or a department of the Government of Canada or of a province,” the provincial government said.

The certificates will remain in effect until firearms owners are “fairly compensated” by the federal government, according to the announcement.

The Liberal government has banned approximately 2,500 types of what it calls “assault-style” firearms since 2020. Ottawa launched the federal buyback program on Jan. 19, and has given eligible gun owners until March 31 to make an online declaration to receive compensation for a banned firearm.

Gun owners who do not make a declaration are expected to dispose of or deactivate their banned firearms before the amnesty period ends on Oct. 30. Anyone who still has banned firearms after that will be breaking the law and may face criminal charges.

Saskatchewan Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said lawful firearms owners in Canada are already “heavily” vetted and regulated under the licensing and renewal processes for the Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) and Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (RPAL).

“Under federal legislation and the national buyback program, farmers, hunters, and sport-shooting enthusiasts are being forced to either accept little or no compensation, or they must deactivate or destroy their legally-purchased property at a loss to avoid facing criminal charges,” McLeod said in a March 11 statement.

The province says all applications for exemption certificates will be “closely reviewed” by the province’s firearms office for eligibility, and certificates will only be available to individuals with a PAL or RPAL, who are in “good standing, pursuing compensation from the federal government, and following all firearms storage laws that pertain to their reclassified firearms.”

“Failure to follow any of these requirements will result in the certificates of exemption being inoperative,” the province said.

The certificates will not exempt individuals from criminal charges if they commit an offence, use a prohibited firearm, or carelessly store prohibited firearms, and will only be valid in Saskatchewan, the province added.

The provincial government will open an online portal “in the coming weeks” to offer appraisals for all firearms, ammunition, and accessories impacted by the federal buyback program. Firearm owners in the province will also be able to request certificates of exemption through the portal.

Previous Amendments

Saskatchewan also introduced amendments to the province’s firearms act in late November that aimed to ensure gun owners receive “fair market value” for their firearms. The amendments said the value that gun owners receive would be determined by the province’s firearms commissioner.

If a firearm owner does not receive fair market compensation for an impacted firearm within 12 months of the federal program coming into effect, the firearm will be deemed “seized,” the province said.

As the federal government has said funding for the buyback program will be capped at $742 million and compensation will be offered on a “first-come, first-served” basis, there is no guarantee that gun owners will be compensated once the funding cap is reached.

Speaking to his delegates on March 11, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his government is taking “a firm stand when it comes to standing up for law-abiding gun owners in this province and across the nation.”

“No one is going to show up on your doorstep and say, ‘We need to gather up your firearms,’” Moe said.

Saskatchewan is one of several provinces and territories that have said they will not participate in the buyback program, including Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Quebec is the only province that has expressed support for the program so far.

Numerous police services have also said they will not help with the program, while the RCMP and Quebec’s provincial police force have said they will collect guns eligible for compensation.

The federal Conservative Party has also accused the federal government of targeting law-abiding gun owners instead of going after criminals. The Liberal government says the program is needed to curb gun violence in the country, arguing that the public doesn’t need access to the types of guns it’s banning.