Legal Shooting Areas in British Columbia and Canada
One of the most common questions we get at Silvercore: where can I legally shoot? Not at a range, but out in the bush. The honest answer is that there is no official list of legal shooting spots in BC. What exists is a stack of rules from three levels of government, and any spot you pick has to clear all three. This post walks you through the stack.
It is important to note that this blog post is not designed to be an article providing legal advice, but rather a primer to understand how firearms use is regulated in BC and throughout Canada.
Understanding how firearms use is regulated stems from an understanding of all three levels of our government and the roles they play in respect to firearms regulations.
The fastest legal answer: a range
If you just want to shoot this weekend without doing homework on bylaws and closure maps, a range is the one place where all three levels of government have already said yes. We keep a current guide to drop-in shooting ranges across the Lower Mainland, and most welcome walk-ins with no club membership required.
Federal rules: your licence and the Criminal Code
The Federal Government will set the majority of your firearms licensing, possession, acquisitions, and classifications. Federal Laws would concern the Firearms Act and its regulations of the Criminal Code.
An example: every firearms owner needs a valid firearms licence, known as a PAL. If you do not have yours yet, start with How to Get Your PAL in Canada. The Firearms Act also regulates the acquisition, storage, and carrying of firearms in Canada.
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, a firearm is broadly defined under the Criminal Code of Canada and additional firearms-related offences can also be found there.
For more information on the Criminal Code of Canada and the Canada Firearms Act and Regulations please see below:
Provincial rules: the Wildlife Act
The Provincial Government, in BC at least, more or less stays out of the regulating of firearms use unless it is in conjunction with lawful hunting activities. These laws relate to game, fish, and wildlife acts but can restrict shooting within certain distances of roads or dwelling for example.
The B.C. Firearms Act regulates safe firearm use and transportation in the province, while the Wildlife Act governs the use of firearms while hunting.
As this article does not deal with the harvesting of animals, rather the simple discharge of firearms, you can refer to the hunting synopsis here for more information.
Municipal bylaws: the layer that catches people
Municipal governments likely have rules in place which will allow or deny the discharge of firearms, and once you are sure you meet both federal and provincial regulations, municipal bylaws are what you will need to explore next. Municipal governments handle noise, nuisance, zoning, and by-laws.
For example, Vancouver prohibits the discharge of firearms outright. Some municipalities allow discharge in defined areas such as gun clubs and farmland, and others restrict it by type, such as shotgun-only rules. Bylaws change, so the current bylaw on your municipality's website is the only version that matters. Search your municipality's name plus firearms discharge bylaw, or phone the municipal hall. Ten minutes of reading is cheaper than a seized firearm and a court date.
Fraser Valley no-shooting areas
It’s important to always know and follow laws when you choose to go out shooting, especially when you’re out in the bush. If you live in the Fraser Valley and like to go shooting or hunting, then you should familiarize yourself with the No Shooting Areas set forth by the Province of BC and the Fraser Valley Regional District.
This blog is a helpful resource for knowing where the no-shoot zones are. Always refer to the most recent Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for site and access restrictions, closures, and what is lawful where. It is continuously updated online.
For legislation, policies, and current closures, the front door is the Province's hunting page at gov.bc.ca/hunting.
The Fraser Valley Special Area Hunting and Firearms Discharge map is the quickest way to see where firearms use is permitted and prohibited. The FVRD's no-shooting areas map is here, and it is the same map the current provincial synopsis points hunters to.
One rule worth burning in: with the exception of persons engaged in lawful hunting or trapping, the discharge of firearms is prohibited within 400 m of the roads indicated on those maps. Other shooting restrictions may apply on top. Where there is any discrepancy in interpretation, the regulation as deposited is what counts.
If you shoot in the bush, carry insurance
A range carries the insurance. In the bush, you are the insurance. Silvercore Club membership includes $5 million in third-party liability coverage through Lloyd's of London, valid across North America, for $59 a year. And if you hunt anywhere in the Fraser Valley Special Licence Hunting Area (Management Units 2-4 and 2-8), you are legally required to carry at least $1 million in third-party liability insurance for hunting, which the Club exceeds. It keeps you sharp and has your back.
Continue on the Silvercore Path
New to firearms? Start with the Canadian Firearms Safety Course.
Planning a hunt this fall? Read our Guide to Limited Entry Hunting in British Columbia.
Do not have your PAL yet? See How to Get Your PAL in Canada.
