Photo Cimmerian praetor, CC BY-SA 4.0Storing and moving firearms
Locked, unloaded, separate, and out of sight, every time.
What you need
- A trigger lock or a cable lock for each firearm
- A locked cabinet, closet or case
- A separate locked container for ammunition
- A soft or hard case for the vehicle
- Your licence with you when you carry one
How
- Unload it before it comes in the house. Check the chamber, then check it again out loud.
- Lock it with a secure locking device or take the bolt out, then put it in the locked cabinet.
- Keep the ammunition apart from the firearm, in its own locked spot.
- Case it for the vehicle, unloaded, and put it out of sight in the trunk or under a blanket rather than across the back seat.
- Never leave a firearm in a vehicle that is out of your sight if you can help it. If you must, the vehicle is locked and the firearm is locked and hidden.
- Clean it dry and oiled before it goes away for the season, and lock it up the same way afterward.
Watch for
Danger
- Storage and transport rules are law in Canada, not advice, and restricted firearms carry more of them.
- A cable through the action of a lever gun or a pump needs the action open. Forcing it damages the gun.
- Kids find every hiding place in the house. A lock is what stops that, not a high shelf.
- Check the local rules before you carry across a provincial line or into a park.
Notes
Write the make, model and serial number down and keep the list somewhere other than the cabinet. If one ever walks, the police need that list the same day.
Updated 2026-09-05



