AB1615 (2026): Amending the Unsafe Handgun Roster Requirements

What the Bill Would Do

Assembly Bill 1615, authored by Assembly Member Stephanie Nguyen, proposes a narrow amendment to California's Unsafe Handgun Act (Penal Code sections 31900-32110), which governs the Roster of Certified Handguns ^[1]. The roster is one of California's most consequential firearms regulations. No new handgun model may be sold by a licensed dealer in the state unless it is listed on the roster, which requires the manufacturer to submit the model for testing and meet specific design requirements including a loaded chamber indicator, a magazine disconnect mechanism, and (for semiautomatic pistols) microstamping capability.

AB 1615 would create a service-weapon exemption allowing a county probation department, and sworn members of that department who have completed a Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) firearms course, to purchase or possess off-roster handguns for use as service weapons. Probation officers in California are sworn peace officers under Penal Code section 830.5 and are presently not covered by the same off-roster service-weapon exemption that applies to police and sheriff's deputies under Penal Code section 32000(b). The bill would close that gap.

The roster has been a focal point of litigation, most notably in Boland v. Bonta, which challenges the microstamping requirement. As of 2026, the number of handgun models on the roster has declined steadily as manufacturers allow certifications to lapse rather than redesign models to meet the microstamping requirement. AB 1615 does not expand or contract civilian roster access — it adds one peace-officer category to the existing service-weapon exemption framework ^[2].

Current Status

AB 1615 passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety unanimously (9-0) on March 3, 2026, with a recommendation for the consent calendar. It was re-referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The unanimous bipartisan vote and consent-calendar designation reflect the bill's narrow scope and lack of fiscal-impact controversy. As of May 2026, the bill was awaiting an Appropriations suspense-file decision in the typical late-May timeframe for the 2026 session.

Distinguishing AB 1615 from AB 879

AB 1615 should not be confused with AB 879 (2025), which is also pending and addresses the Unsafe Handgun Act. AB 879 is a 2025-session two-year bill making technical amendments to the unsafe-handgun statutes themselves; AB 1615 is a 2026-session bill creating a probation-department service-weapon exemption. Both touch the roster framework, but they amend different sections and have different policy aims.

What to Watch

The Appropriations suspense-file action will determine whether the bill advances to the Assembly Floor. Consent-calendar designation typically signals smooth passage if the bill clears Appropriations. Watch for any amendments expanding the exemption to other peace-officer categories or imposing reporting/inventory requirements on county probation departments.