Firearm Statistics: Updated Table
PART I: NATIONAL DATA
Table 4A. Firearms Acquisition Certificates (FACs), 1979–1999 [terminated series]
Number Issued and Rate (per 100,000 population)
| Year |
New FACs[1] |
Rate |
FACs Refused [2] |
| 1979 |
251,207 |
1,038 |
930 |
| 1980 |
209,757 |
856 |
1,057 |
| 1981 |
167,537 |
675 |
944 |
| 1982 |
146,353 |
583 |
967 |
| 1983 |
133,515 |
526 |
910 |
| 1984 |
171,537 |
670 |
944 |
| 1985 |
175,979 |
681 |
1,117 |
| 1986 |
168,348 |
645 |
1,339 |
| 1987 |
165,347 |
625 |
1,413 |
| 1988 |
160,351 |
598 |
1,454 |
| 1989 |
177,398 |
650 |
1,461 |
| 1990 |
187,499 |
677 |
1,777 |
| 1991 |
199,589 |
712 |
2,072 |
| 1992 |
287,957 |
1,015 |
2,614 |
| 1993 |
80,371 |
280 |
1,241 |
| 1994 |
49,367 |
170 |
743 |
| 1995 |
46,797 |
159 |
340 |
| 1996 [3] |
125,956 |
424 |
494 |
| 1997 |
64,934 |
216 |
749 |
| 1998 |
51,808 |
171 |
379 |
| 1999 |
25,875 |
85 |
366 |
SOURCE: RCMP: Annual Firearms Report to the Solicitor General of Canada
- [1] The 1995 Firearms Act replaces FACs with Possession and Acquisition Licences. As of December 31, 2000, there were 243,299 FACs still in existence. Because of the new Canadian Firearms Registration System (CFRS), no more FACs have been issued since 2000 and this table will no longer be updated.
- [2] "FACs Refused" are those applications that result in refusal without reference to a magistrate.
- [3] The large increase in new FACs in 1996 was mostly due to a special program initiated by the provincial government of Ontario which exempted applicants from taking the Canadian Firearms Safety Course in order to obtain an FAC. The lower number in 1997 was simply a reversion to previous levels.
