California Gun Laws

A featureless rifle is a semiautomatic centerfire rifle configured to avoid assault weapon classification under Penal Code Section 30515 by removing all prohibited features. This allows the rifle to retain a standard detachable magazine while remaining legally compliant.

A fixed magazine configuration is an alternative method of complying with California's assault weapon laws. By making the magazine non-detachable without disassembly of the firearm action, a semiautomatic centerfire rifle may retain all prohibited features (pistol grip, adjustable stock, flash suppressor, etc.) and still be legally compliant.

California defines unserialized firearms (ghost guns) and firearm precursor parts through PC 16531 and related sections. AB 857 (2016), AB 1057 (2020), and SB 53 (2023) created a comprehensive regulatory framework requiring serialization of all firearms and treating precursor parts as regulated items requiring background checks.

California's Unsafe Handgun Act (Penal Code Sections 31900-32110) prohibits the sale of handguns not listed on the DOJ Certified Handgun Roster by licensed dealers. However, several legal pathways exist for acquiring off-roster handguns, including private party transfers, intrafamilial transfers, law enforcement exemptions, and curio/relic acquisitions. The limited supply through these channels has created a significant price premium for off-roster handguns in the California market.

Part 6, Title 1 of the California Penal Code contains the master definitions used throughout all California firearms statutes. Sections 16520 through 16590 define firearm, handgun, rifle, and shotgun, forming the foundation for every possession, transfer, and licensing provision in state law.

California Penal Code Sections 16150 through 16190 define ammunition, handgun ammunition, and armor-piercing ammunition. These definitions are foundational to the state's ammunition regulation framework, which was significantly expanded by Proposition 63 (2016) and its implementing legislation.

Penal Code Sections 16350 through 16370 define "dealer," "gun show," and "gun show vendor" for purposes of California firearms regulation. These definitions determine which persons and events are subject to the state's dealer licensing, gun show reporting, and transfer processing requirements.

Penal Code Sections 16520 through 16590 provide the detailed statutory definitions that classify firearms into distinct legal categories. These classifications determine which regulatory framework applies to a given weapon, including purchase restrictions, carry laws, and storage requirements.

Penal Code Section 16740 defines "imitation firearm" as any BB device, toy gun, replica, or air soft gun that is so substantially similar in physical properties to a real firearm as to lead a reasonable person to conclude it is a firearm. This definition governs restrictions on display, sale, and brandishing of realistic-looking non-firearms.

Penal Code Sections 16890 and 16900 define "large-capacity magazine" as any ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds. This definition is central to California's magazine ban, which has been subject to ongoing constitutional litigation in Duncan v. Bonta.

Penal Code Sections 17000 through 17190 define "unsafe handgun" and establish the criteria a handgun must meet to be listed on the California DOJ Roster of Certified Handguns. Since 2013, the roster has included a microstamping requirement that has effectively frozen the addition of new semiautomatic handgun models.

Penal Code Section 171b prohibits bringing or possessing any firearm in any state or local public building, or at any meeting required to be open to the public. This prohibition applies to CCW permit holders and is one of the longest-standing restricted location statutes in California law.

Penal Code Sections 17700 through 17745 define "destructive device" to include explosive and incendiary weapons, as well as certain large-bore firearms. The definition contains specific exceptions for antique devices, signaling equipment, and items possessed for lawful purposes by authorized entities.

Penal Code Section 33600 prohibits the possession of destructive devices in California, with narrow exceptions for law enforcement, military personnel, and holders of valid destructive device permits issued by the DOJ.

Penal Code Section 20150 and related provisions regulate BB guns, pellet guns, and imitation firearms in California, including marking requirements designed to distinguish them from real firearms. These regulations address public safety concerns arising from the realistic appearance of replica and air-powered weapons.

Penal Code Section 25100 establishes criminal liability for firearm owners who negligently store firearms in a manner that allows a child to gain access. The statute creates tiered penalties based on the severity of harm that results from the child's access to the unsecured firearm.

Penal Code Section 25135, enacted through SB 53 (2023), requires that all firearms kept in a residence be stored in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock when not being carried on the person or within close enough proximity to retrieve and use it. This expands storage requirements beyond child access prevention to apply to all residential firearms.

Penal Code Section 25400 prohibits carrying a concealed firearm on one's person or within a vehicle without a valid CCW permit. The base offense under subsection (c)(7) is a misdemeanor. However, subsections (c)(1) through (c)(4) elevate the offense to a felony for aggravating factors such as prior felony convictions, stolen firearms, gang participation, or prohibited-person status. Subsection (c)(5) makes it a wobbler where the defendant has a prior conviction for a crime against a person, property, or a drug offense.

Penal Code Section 25850 prohibits carrying a loaded firearm on one's person or in a vehicle while in any public place or on any public street in an incorporated city, or in any public place or on any public street in a prohibited area of unincorporated territory. Violations are generally misdemeanors but can be charged as felonies.

Penal Code Section 26150 governs the issuance of concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits by county sheriffs. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022), California eliminated its "good cause" requirement, making CCW permits available to all qualified applicants who meet age, training, background check, and moral character criteria.

Penal Code Section 26230, enacted through SB 2 (2023), establishes an extensive list of "sensitive places" where concealed carry is prohibited even for valid CCW permit holders. Following the Ninth Circuit's May v. Bonta ruling (mandate January 23, 2025), 20 of 26 categories are enforceable. Six categories remain enjoined: hospitals, public transit, places of worship, financial institutions, permitted gatherings, and private commercial property.

Penal Code Section 26350 prohibits the open carry of an unloaded handgun in public. Enacted through AB 144 (2011) and codified during the 2012 reorganization, this section closed the last remaining avenue for non-permitted public carry of handguns in California.

Penal Code Section 26800 establishes the framework for dealer-facilitated firearm sales in California, requiring all transactions to be processed through the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) system. The statute mandates background checks, prescribes fees, and integrates with the 10-day waiting period to create one of the most comprehensive point-of-sale regulatory systems in the country.

California Penal Code Section 27500 prohibits all private party firearm transfers unless conducted through a licensed firearms dealer. There are no exceptions for transfers between friends, neighbors, or unrelated acquaintances. The dealer must process the transfer as if it were a standard sale, including DROS submission, background check, and 10-day waiting period.

California limits firearm purchases to three within any 30-day period under AB 1078, which replaced the struck-down one-handgun-per-30-days rule on April 1, 2026. The limit applies to all firearm types and is enforced through the DROS system. Fourteen exemption categories exist.

California Penal Code Section 27545 mandates a 10-day waiting period for all firearm transactions. Unlike some states that waive the waiting period for existing gun owners or concealed carry permit holders, California applies this requirement universally with extremely limited exceptions.

Penal Code Section 27870 exempts certain intrafamilial firearm transfers from the requirement to use a licensed dealer as an intermediary. Transfers between parents and children and between grandparents and grandchildren may be conducted directly, but the transaction must still be reported to the DOJ through a DROS or Intrafamilial Firearm Transaction form within 30 days.

Penal Code Section 29180 requires any person who manufactures or assembles a firearm in California to first apply to the DOJ for a unique serial number, engrave that number on the firearm, and not transfer the firearm to any other person. This law predates the federal ATF rule on privately made firearms and is one of the strictest ghost gun regulations in the country.

Penal Code Section 29800 prohibits any person who has been convicted of a felony from owning, purchasing, receiving, or possessing any firearm. This is a lifetime prohibition that applies to all felony convictions regardless of the nature of the offense.

Penal Code Section 29800(b) provides that any person prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law (18 USC 922(g)) is also prohibited from possessing firearms under California law. This cross-reference ensures that California enforces the full scope of federal firearms disabilities.

Penal Code Section 29850 prohibits any person who is addicted to the use of a narcotic drug from owning, purchasing, receiving, or possessing any firearm. The prohibition exists independently of any criminal conviction and applies based on the person's status as a narcotic addict.

Penal Code Section 29900 imposes a lifetime firearms prohibition on persons convicted of specified violent offenses. Unlike the general felon prohibition in PC 29800, the offenses listed in PC 29900 carry an absolute ban that cannot be reduced or restored through normal channels.

Penal Code Section 30300 establishes age-based restrictions on ammunition sales in California: no ammunition may be sold to persons under 18, and no handgun ammunition may be sold to persons under 21. The prohibition on ammunition possession by prohibited persons is a separate provision found in PC 30305. Combined with PC 30352 and PC 30370, these statutes form California's comprehensive ammunition regulation framework.

Penal Code Section 30305 prohibits the possession of ammunition by any person who is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. The prohibition mirrors the firearm prohibitions found in PC 29800, 29805, 29900, and related sections, extending the disability to ammunition ownership and possession.

California Penal Code Section 30400 regulates the purchase, sale, and transfer of firearm precursor parts (frames, receivers, unfinished components). Enacted by AB 879 (2019) and expanded by AB 1621 (2022). Not to be confused with ammunition vendor licensing (PC 30312/30385).

California defines assault weapons through three distinct prongs: the Roberti-Roos named model list (PC 30510), the characteristics-based test added by SB 23 in 2000 (PC 30515), and the .50 BMG category added by AB 50 in 2004 (PC 30530). Each prong operates independently, so a firearm may qualify under one or more definitions.

California banned .50 BMG rifles through AB 50, effective January 1, 2005. Penal Code Sections 30600 through 30675 prohibit the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of .50 BMG rifles, with a registration exception for those lawfully possessed before the ban took effect.

Penal Code Section 30600 is the central prohibition on assault weapons in California. It flatly bans the manufacture, distribution, transportation, importation, sale, giving, and lending of any firearm classified as an assault weapon under Penal Code Sections 30510, 30515, or 30520. The law traces back to the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 and is currently subject to active litigation in Miller v. Bonta.

Penal Code Section 30900 establishes the registration framework for assault weapons that were lawfully possessed before their classification as assault weapons. Registration allows continued possession but restricts transfer, and the registration windows have closed for all three categories of assault weapons.

Penal Code Section 27600 establishes the Firearms Safety Certificate (FSC) requirement, which mandates that all persons must obtain an FSC before purchasing or acquiring any firearm in California. The FSC replaced the former Handgun Safety Certificate (HSC) in 2015 and expanded the requirement to cover all firearm types. The certificate requires passing a written test administered by a DOJ Certified Instructor and is valid for five years.

Penal Code Section 31910 requires that new semiautomatic pistol models submitted for inclusion on the Certified Handguns Roster incorporate microstamping technology, which engraves a microscopic array of characters identifying the make, model, and serial number of the pistol onto each cartridge case when fired. The requirement has been challenged in Boland v. Bonta.

Penal Code Section 32310 prohibits the manufacture, import, sale, giving, lending, buying, and receiving of any magazine capable of accepting more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The statute has been the subject of prolonged litigation in Duncan v. Bonta, which has reached the Supreme Court and been remanded for further proceedings.

Penal Code Section 33410 prohibits the possession of any machine gun in California. Unlike federal law, which permits civilian ownership of pre-1986 registered machine guns under the National Firearms Act, California provides no civilian exemption for possession regardless of federal registration status.

Penal Code Section 33215 prohibits the manufacture, import, sale, giving, lending, and possession of short-barreled rifles (barrel length under 16 inches or overall length under 26 inches) and short-barreled shotguns (barrel length under 18 inches or overall length under 26 inches) in California.

Penal Code Section 32900 prohibits the manufacture, sale, possession, and use of zip guns, which are improvised firearms typically constructed from readily available materials. The statute targets crude, homemade weapons distinct from the more sophisticated unserialized firearms addressed by ghost gun legislation.

Penal Code Section 626.9, California's Gun-Free School Zone Act, prohibits possessing a firearm within a "school zone," defined as on the grounds of or within 1,000 feet of a public or private K-12 school. The statute implements and extends the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 USC 922(q)).

California SB 704 (2025), effective January 1, 2026, requires that firearm barrels be transferred through a licensed firearms dealer (FFL) using the DROS process. Private-party barrel sales and direct online shipments to consumers are prohibited. The law covers pistol, rifle, and shotgun barrels sold separately from a complete firearm.

The Unsafe Handgun Act, codified at Penal Code Sections 31900 through 32110, prohibits the manufacture, sale, and import of handguns that do not meet California safety standards. Qualifying handguns must pass drop safety and firing tests and be listed on the DOJ Certified Handguns Roster. Note: PC 24510 (the section sometimes cited in connection with this article) addresses disguised and imitation firearms, not the UHA.

DOJ regulations implementing Proposition 63 ammunition vendor licensing, background check requirements, and record-keeping mandates that took effect July 1, 2019.

California DOJ regulations in Title 11 of the California Code of Regulations implementing the assault weapon identification process, including the characteristics test under Penal Code Section 30515 and the named firearms list under the Roberti-Roos Act.

DOJ regulations governing the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale in California, including testing, certification, and the microstamping requirement that has effectively frozen new additions to the roster since 2013.

The DOJ Bureau of Firearms publishes interpretive guidance, compliance flowcharts, and advisory notices to help Californians determine whether specific firearm configurations meet the assault weapon definition. This guidance lacks the force of law but reflects the DOJ's enforcement position.

Voter-approved ballot proposition sponsored by Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. Added ammunition purchase background checks, strengthened the large-capacity magazine ban, and required theft reporting. Passed with 63% of the vote.

Los Angeles has enacted local firearms ordinances addressing ghost guns, large-capacity magazines, safe storage, and dealer requirements that add restrictions beyond California state law.

San Francisco maintains some of the strictest local firearms ordinances in California, including mandatory safe storage, dealer restrictions, and the now-repealed hollow point ammunition ban. These ordinances layer on top of state law.

California's original assault weapons ban, enacted in 1989 as SB 292 and AB 357. Established the named firearms list at Penal Code Section 30510 and created the registration framework for owners who possessed listed firearms before the ban.

California's response to the Supreme Court's Bruen decision. Created an extensive list of sensitive places where concealed carry is prohibited and added a default no-carry rule for private property. Following the Ninth Circuit's ruling in May v. Bonta (mandate January 23, 2025), 20 of 26 sensitive place categories are now enforceable. Only 6 categories remain enjoined: hospitals, public transit, places of worship, financial institutions, permitted gatherings, and private commercial property. The Supreme Court has granted certiorari in Wolford v. Lopez (argued January 20, 2026), which involves Hawaii's equivalent private property default rule -- a ruling is expected by July 2026 and will directly affect California's framework.

Senate Bill 23 added the features-based assault weapon definition to California law, classifying semiautomatic firearms as assault weapons based on physical characteristics rather than model name. Created the featureless and fixed-magazine compliance pathways.

Federal law establishes nine categories of persons prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. California cross-references and expands upon these federal prohibitions through its own state-level prohibited persons framework.

The Firearms Owners' Protection Act safe passage provision allows lawful transport of firearms through restrictive states. In California, the gap between federal protection and state enforcement practice creates significant risk for travelers.