Changes are coming to Canada’s laws and measures very soon. This March, you can expect a range of new measures that will be kicking in, affecting things from language requirements to new fee caps.
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New Laws And Measures Coming To Canada This March
Caps On NSF Fees At Banks
As of March 12, 2026, the federal government will be instituting caps on non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees. NSF fees will be capped at $10 for personal and joint bank accounts at Canadian banks. Moreover, banks will be prohibited from charging NSF fees for accounts if they have an overdraft of less than $10.
The federal government notes that NSF fees disproportionately harm Canadians with low income. Currently, they sit around $45 to $48. These caps do not apply to corporate or business accounts, though.
Foreign-Trained Lawyers Receive New Language Requirements
Effective March 1, 2026, the National Committee on Accreditation is establishing new policies, including a language competency screening test for foreign lawyers.
Applicants must “demonstrate language competence through the Language Screening Requirement (subsection 11.1),” reads the advisory. “This requirement requires that all applicants to the NCA complete a language competency screening test, in either French or English, before their qualifications are assessed.”
The screening’s cost is included in the assessment fee, and can be accessed through a link provided by the NCA.
Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program
The Assault-Style Firearms Compensation program “was developed to provide an option for eligible businesses and individuals who own these prohibited firearms to comply with the law.” Participants are able to receive compensation subject to the availability of program funds.
This is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to tackling gun violence in Canadian communities. Over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms have been banned since May 2020.
Participation in the program is voluntary, although compliance with the law is not. “Businesses and individual firearm owners must safely dispose of or permanently deactivate their assault-style firearms before the amnesty period ends on October 30, 2026, or risk criminal liability for the illegal possession of a prohibited firearm.”
Eligible businesses and individuals must declare their firearms by March 31 to receive compensation.
Still curious about other new laws that Canada has introduced, besides the ones coming in March? Check out what the Government of Canada rolled out in January 2026 here.
