California’s assault weapons law bans a long list of firearms by name and a broader category defined by physical features, and because every registration window has now closed, there is no lawful way for a civilian to acquire or newly possess one. Possession is a crime unless the firearm was registered during an earlier window, and commercial activity involving these weapons — including lending one to a friend — is a felony. The rules sit in Penal Code Sections 30510 through 30610.1California Department of Justice. California Attorney General Assault Weapons Identification Guide
How California Defines an Assault Weapon
A firearm can be an assault weapon in two different ways. The first is the named list in Section 30510, which identifies specific makes, models, and series. All AK-series rifles, all Colt AR-15 series rifles, the UZI, the Galil, the Beretta AR-70, the Intratec TEC-9, the Franchi SPAS 12, and the Striker 12 shotgun are examples.2California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30510 – Assault Weapons Definition If a firearm is on that list, it is an assault weapon no matter what modifications have been made to it.
The second route is the features test in Section 30515. A semiautomatic centerfire rifle that lacks a fixed magazine is an assault weapon if it has even one of the following: a protruding pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a grenade or flare launcher, a flash suppressor, or a forward pistol grip.3California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30515 – Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Rifles One feature is enough. A rifle with a fixed magazine holding more than 10 rounds also qualifies.
Semiautomatic pistols without a fixed magazine qualify if they have a threaded barrel that accepts a suppressor or forward grip, a second handgrip, a barrel shroud that protects the shooter’s non-trigger hand (not counting the slide), or the ability to accept a magazine outside the pistol grip. A fixed-magazine pistol holding more than 10 rounds is also covered.
Semiautomatic shotguns are assault weapons if they combine a folding or telescoping stock with a pistol grip, thumbhole stock, or vertical handgrip. A semiautomatic shotgun without a fixed magazine is an assault weapon on its own, and so is any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
Whether a magazine counts as fixed or detachable drives much of this. California treats a magazine as detachable if it can be removed without disassembling the firearm’s action. “Featureless” builds and fixed-magazine conversions are the usual attempts to stay out of the definition, and the technical requirements are strict enough that small errors turn a legal rifle into contraband.
.50 BMG Rifles Are Regulated Separately
A .50 BMG rifle is a centerfire rifle that can fire the .50 BMG cartridge and is not already classified as an assault weapon or machinegun. Antiques and federally recognized curios or relics are excluded.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30530 – .50 BMG Rifle Definition The 2004 .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act required owners to register by April 30, 2006, and that window has closed.5California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions – Assault Weapons Unregistered possession is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both.6California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30610 – Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Rifles
Registration Is Closed
Possessing an assault weapon is unlawful under Section 30605 unless the firearm was registered with the Department of Justice during one of the registration periods the state opened each time the definition expanded.7California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30605 – Unlawful Acts Relating to Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Rifles Owners of the original named models had to register by January 1, 1991. Owners of firearms covered by the 1999 features-based expansion had until January 1, 2001. The 2016 legislation covering non-fixed-magazine rifles set a deadline of July 1, 2018. Categories added in 2020 had to be registered before January 1, 2022.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30900 – Registration Requirements
All of those windows have passed. There is no retroactive registration process. If you were not registered by the applicable deadline, the firearm is contraband in your hands and no state agency can fix that.
What Registered Owners Can and Can’t Do
Registration does not confer open use. Under Section 30945, a registered owner may possess the firearm only at their residence, their place of business, property they own or have permission to use, a licensed shooting range, specified firearms exhibitions, and public land where the managing agency expressly allows it.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30945 – Possession Conditions for Registered Assault Weapons Transport between those locations must comply with California’s locked-container rules.
Registered owners cannot transfer the weapon to another person inside California. The only lawful exits are selling it to a licensed dealer who holds a DOJ assault-weapons permit, taking it out of the state, rendering it permanently inoperable, or surrendering it to law enforcement.5California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions – Assault Weapons
Selling, Lending, or Bringing One Into California
Section 30600 makes it a felony to manufacture, distribute, transport into California, keep for sale, offer for sale, give, or lend any assault weapon or .50 BMG rifle.10California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30600 – Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Rifles Crossing the state line with one triggers a violation on entry, whatever your reason for bringing it.
The ban on giving and lending catches conduct that doesn’t feel commercial. Lending a friend an assault weapon for a weekend is a felony under this section, even with no money involved. So is handing one down as a gift. The penalty is four, six, or eight years in state prison, with no misdemeanor option.
Penalties for Unlawful Possession
Possession under Section 30605 is a wobbler. Prosecutors can file it as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, or as a felony punishable by 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail under the realignment sentencing structure of Section 1170(h).11California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 1170 – Sentencing
A narrow break exists for first-time offenders. The penalty drops to a fine of up to $500, plus surrender of the firearm, if all of the following are true: the owner lawfully possessed the weapon before it was reclassified as an assault weapon, has no prior convictions under this chapter, is caught within one year after the applicable registration period ended, and possesses no more than two qualifying firearms.12California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30605 – Possession of Assault Weapon Anyone outside that one-year window, or anyone who acquired the weapon after reclassification, does not qualify.
A felony conviction carries a federal consequence that outlasts the state sentence. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), a person convicted of any felony is barred from possessing firearms or ammunition anywhere in the country. A violation of that federal prohibition is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, and offenders with three or more prior violent-felony or drug-trafficking convictions face a 15-year minimum without parole.13United States Department of Justice. Quick Reference to Federal Firearms Laws One California felony conviction for an unregistered rifle can end lawful firearm ownership for life.
Who Is Exempt
The restrictions target civilian possession. Sworn peace officers at agencies named in the Penal Code may possess and use assault weapons and .50 BMG rifles for law enforcement purposes, on duty and off.14California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30630 – Exemptions for Peace Officers and Federal Agents Sales and transfers to an authorized officer are allowed when the officer has written authorization from the agency head identifying both the officer and the specific weapon. Members of federal law enforcement agencies are exempt on similar terms when authorized by their employing agency. Military and law enforcement personnel should confirm the exact scope of their authorization with their agency rather than assuming coverage.
If You Have an Unregistered Assault Weapon
Surrender to law enforcement is the only lawful option. The California DOJ instructs people to contact their local police department or sheriff’s office in advance to arrange the handover, not to walk in carrying the weapon.5California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions – Assault Weapons
The exit paths available to registered owners are not available here. You cannot legally sell, transport, or give away a firearm you are not authorized to possess in the first place. Time matters as well, because the reduced $500 fine disappears one year after the applicable registration deadline closed, and every deadline is already well past that point.
Pending Court Challenges
California’s assault weapon restrictions are the subject of active Second Amendment litigation in federal court. As of early 2026, federal appellate courts have consistently upheld bans on assault-style firearms, the Ninth Circuit is expected to rule on California’s law, and similar challenges are moving through other circuits. The Supreme Court has not yet taken up an assault weapon ban case directly. None of these cases have suspended California’s statutes, and the law is fully enforceable while the challenges proceed.