PC 30400:
Firearm Precursor Parts Regulation

California Penal Code Section 30400^[1] was added by AB 879 (2019), whose precursor-parts provisions were initially scheduled to begin July 1, 2024, and was repealed and replaced by AB 1621 (2022). It now prohibits purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of firearm precursor parts that are not federally regulated firearm precursor parts, subject to statutory exceptions. PC 30400 concerned firearm precursor parts before SB 883 amended it. Penal Code Sections 30312 and 30385 govern ammunition sales and ammunition vendor licensing. PC 30400 now requires any person or business engaged in the sale of firearm precursor parts to obtain a license from the California Department of Justice and to conduct point-of-sale eligibility checks on purchasers.

Licensing Requirements

To obtain an ammunition vendor license, an applicant must:

• Submit an application to the California DOJ Bureau of Firearms
• Pay the applicable licensing fee
• Maintain a fixed place of business (with exceptions for gun show vendors who hold temporary event permits)
• Not be prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under state or federal law
• Comply with all applicable local zoning and business licensing requirements

Automatic Authorization for FFLs

Licensed firearms dealers who hold a valid federal firearms license (FFL) and a California state dealer license are automatically deemed to be licensed ammunition vendors under Penal Code Section 30385^[3]. They do not need to obtain a separate ammunition vendor license but must still comply with all ammunition-specific record-keeping and point-of-sale eligibility check requirements.

Record-Keeping Requirements

Except for transfers to properly identified recipients exempt under PC 30352(e), licensed ammunition vendors must record the following information for ammunition sales and transfers.

• Date of the transaction
• Name, address, and date of birth of the purchaser
• Driver's license or other identification number and the state in which it was issued
• The brand, type, and quantity of ammunition sold
• The results of the DOJ eligibility check

These records must be made available to the DOJ upon request and must be retained for a minimum period as specified by regulation under Penal Code Section 30352^[4].

Online and Out-of-State Vendors

Unless an exemption applies, remote ammunition purchases by California residents must be received and processed by a licensed ammunition vendor under PC 30312. Unless exempt, a California resident bringing ammunition acquired out of state into California must first have it delivered to a licensed California ammunition vendor for delivery under PC 30312 and any applicable eligibility check. Online retailers based in California must hold an ammunition vendor license and comply with the same point-of-sale requirements as brick-and-mortar vendors.

Penalties for Unlicensed Sales

Ammunition sales that are not conducted by or processed through a licensed ammunition vendor violate PC 30312 and are misdemeanors, unless a statutory exemption applies. A violation of Section 30400 is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The DOJ may also seek injunctive relief to prevent continued unlicensed sales.