Handgun Roster and Microstamping:
From 2013 to SB 452

Why can't I buy a new-model pistol in California, and is the roster ever going to change?

How the Roster Works

California Penal Code Sections 31900-32110^[1] establish the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale (commonly called the "Safe Handgun Roster"). Dealer handgun sales generally require roster listing. Private party transfers, curio/relic handguns, certain single-action revolvers and pawn or consignment returns are exempt from that requirement. The converse no longer holds either. Since July 1, 2026, AB 1127 (Penal Code Section 27595) bars dealers from selling semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols even when the model is roster-listed. To be listed, a manufacturer must submit the model for independent testing (drop safety and firing tests) and pay certification fees. Certifications must be renewed annually or the model drops off.

The Microstamping Requirement

AB 1471 (2007) added a microstamping requirement to the roster criteria: new semiautomatic pistols must be capable of "imprinting a microscopic array of characters" on fired cartridge cases in two or more places on the internal surface of the firearm. The requirement depended on DOJ certification that the imprinting technology was available to more than one manufacturer without patent restrictions, and DOJ issued that certification in May 2013.^[2]

SB 452 removed this microstamping requirement from the roster criteria in Section 31910 effective January 1, 2024.^[1]

The Roster in October 2026

The DOJ roster shown on October 16, 2026 listed 1,003 handguns, 608 pistols and 395 revolvers, including the Glock 43X CA.^[2]

Boland v. Bonta

In Boland v. Bonta (C.D. Cal., Case No. 8:22-cv-1421-CJC-ADS), plaintiffs challenge the roster under the Second Amendment as interpreted by NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022). The core argument is that the microstamping requirement functions as a de facto ban on new handgun models, which cannot be justified by historical analogue. The district court granted a preliminary injunction on March 20, 2023. The case was transferred from Judge Cormac J. Carney to Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani on May 31, 2024. In their June 27, 2024 joint case management statement, the parties reported limited discovery during the appeal and anticipated additional discovery after its resolution. No trial date has been set as of early 2026.

The state argues that the roster is a commercial regulation, not a burden on the right to keep and bear arms, because consumers can still purchase rostered models. Plaintiffs respond that permitting only obsolescent designs while banning all modern alternatives is constitutionally indistinguishable from a ban.

AB 2847 (2020): Reduced Microstamping Standard

AB 2847, signed into law on September 29, 2020,^[3] made two significant changes to the roster framework, effective July 1, 2022:

1. Reduced microstamping locations: The requirement was reduced from two locations to one location on the firing pin or internal surface of the firearm. Legislative findings noted that single-point imprints allow successful identification in 97% of cases.
2. Three-for-one removal rule: AB 2847 required DOJ, for each semiautomatic pistol newly added to the roster, to remove exactly three semiautomatic pistols added before July 1, 2022 that lacked one or more of the specified safety features. This provision was intended to accelerate the transition to newer, safer designs but was criticized by gun rights organizations as further shrinking available options.

SB 452 later removed the roster microstamping requirement altogether, effective January 1, 2024.

SB 452 (2023): Standalone Microstamping Framework

SB 452, signed on September 26, 2023,^[4] took a different approach by creating a standalone microstamping regime outside the roster system. SB 452 established Penal Code Sections 27531 through 27534.2, which include:

- A DOJ investigation into technological viability required by March 1, 2025
- Written guidance on performance standards for microstamping components by September 1, 2025, if DOJ determined the components were technologically viable
- A licensing system for entities producing microstamping components
- DOJ grants or contracts to ensure component availability
- A determination by July 1, 2027, if DOJ has determined microstamping components are technologically viable, of whether those components are available at commercially reasonable prices or options of microstamping-enabled firearms are readily available for purchase in California
- Sales restrictions on non-microstamping semiautomatic pistols beginning January 1, 2028, contingent on the availability determination

SB 452 also removed the microstamping requirement from the roster criteria in Section 31910, effective January 1, 2024, and created a separate regulatory pathway for future dealer sales. The DOJ released its microstamping technological viability report in July 2025.^[5]

Bottom Line

Settled: The roster exists and is enforceable. SB 452 removed the roster microstamping requirement effective January 1, 2024, and the October 2026 roster listed 608 pistols. AB 2847 (2020) reduced the microstamping requirement from two locations to one and created the three-for-one removal rule.

Unsettled: Whether the roster (with or without the revised microstamping standard) survives Second Amendment challenge under Bruen. Whether the DOJ will make the July 1, 2027 availability determination under SB 452. Whether the SB 452 January 2028 sales restriction will take effect.

Watch: Boland v. Bonta is the key roster case. The federal government has now opened a second front. United States v. California (C.D. Cal., filed July 1, 2026) challenges the Unsafe Handgun Act roster alongside AB 1127's convertible-pistol dealer ban, and the district court denied a temporary restraining order on July 9, 2026, so that case is proceeding on the normal motion track.