Weapons Amnesty Program

The goal of the Firearms and Weapons Amnesty Program is to educate members of the public about potentially prohibited weapons and firearms, and to provide individuals with unwanted weapons with an opportunity to safely dispose of them.

(This Amnesty is NOT associated with any government buyback program)

Any firearms/weapons surrendered under the guidelines of this Amnesty will NOT result in criminal charges

What An Amnesty Is

The intention of the Halton Regional Police Service's (HRPS) Firearms/Weapons Amnesty Program is to provide owners with an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted weapons/firearms and to educate citizens about weapons that may be prohibited in Canada.

Many people may unknowingly be in possession of prohibited weapons or illegal firearms but afraid to call police for fear of criminal charges.

Over the past several years, Firearms/Weapons Amnesty programs have reduced the number of unwanted or illegally owned firearms/weapons.

Amnesty programs are not intended to focus on lawful gun owners, hunters, sporting shooters, or gun enthusiasts. Rather, these programs provide individuals with an opportunity to surrender firearms, weapons, ammunition, and/or explosives they no longer wish to possess. Possession of these items may have been the result of a death in the family, owners with elapsed firearm licences, or illegal firearms/weapons being held for another person.

The HRPS aims to enhance community safety by reducing the number of unwanted or illegally owned firearms and weapons in the region while reducing the likelihood of unwanted firearms falling into the hands of criminals as a result of break-ins and thefts.

Examples and Photos of Prohibited Weapons

The Amnesty will accept all firearms, weapons, and/or ammunition that people wish to dispose of. This includes the following potentially prohibited items (Note: some variations of these items may not be prohibited):

Switchblades
Pepper Spray
Nunchaku (Nunchucks)
Shuriken (Throwing Stars)
Kusari (Weighted Flails)
Finger Rings with Projecting Blades
Conducted Energy Weapons (Tasers and Stun Guns)
One-handed Crossbows
Belt and Buckle Knives and Blades
Push Daggers
Disguised Knives or Blades under 30cm
Clothing with Spikes and Blades attached
Blowguns
Spring-loaded or Spring Whip-like Batons (not ASP Batons)
Morning Star (Ball and Chain Flail)
Brass Knuckles

As a large number of calls for service relate to imitation firearms, replicas, air-soft, and pellet guns, these items will also be accepted under the Amnesty.

Additional Resources

Criminal Code of Canada

Government of Canada Prohibited Weapons

RCMP Canadian Firearms Program

RCMP Safe Storage Display and Transportation

RCMP Transferring Inherited Firearms

Ontario Hunting Regulations

Schedule a Firearm/Weapon Pick-up

To surrender a firearm and/or weapon, please click the button below and provide the required information.

A member of the Halton Regional Police Service will contact you by telephone within three business days to confirm a time and date to retrieve your surrendered item(s). A plain-clothed officer will attend the pick-up location in an unmarked vehicle at the scheduled date/time.

Note: Legally-owned/registered firearms can only be surrendered by the registered owner or authorized party (i.e. Executor, Power of Attorney)

DO NOT transport any Amnesty items to District Stations or Headquarters.

Schedule a Pick-up

Your personal contact information will not be recorded in any police reports in relation to the item(s) you surrender under this Amnesty. The required information will be used for the purposes of coordinating the retrieval of the surrendered item(s). Surrendered items MUST be located at an address within the Region of Halton.