To ship a firearm to a dealer in California, the sending FFL must get a California Firearm Shipment Approval Letter by enrolling in the state’s Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) system and requesting a verification number from the Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms. The online system runs 24 hours a day and returns an approval instantly. There is no fee at any point.
What the Letter Is and When It’s Required
California Penal Code 27555 prohibits any federally licensed firearms dealer from shipping a firearm to a California-based FFL without first obtaining a verification approval number from the DOJ.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27555 When the shipping FFL requests a number, the DOJ checks the intended California recipient against three state-maintained centralized lists: licensed firearms dealers, exempted federal firearms licensees, and licensed firearms manufacturers. A match produces the approval letter with a unique verification number. No match produces a Do Not Ship response, and the shipment cannot go.
Each shipment gets its own number, though one number can cover multiple firearms in the same shipment.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27555 The requirement applies to every FFL-to-FFL shipment into or within California, including interstate shipments, transfers between two California FFLs, returns after manufacturer repair, and transfers at gun shows.2State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check System
Who Is Responsible for Getting It
The duty sits with the FFL doing the shipping, not with the receiving California dealer and not with the individual buyer or seller.3State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check Program Frequently Asked Questions If you are a private individual arranging to send a firearm into California, federal law generally requires you to use an FFL to ship across state lines, and that FFL handles the CFLC request for you.
Two FFL types are carved out: Type 03 (curio and relic collector) and Type 06 (ammunition dealer) are exempt from the CFLC verification requirement and cannot enroll in the system.3State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check Program Frequently Asked Questions Every other FFL type must go through the process.
Enroll in CFLC First
Enrollment is a prerequisite, and you cannot submit a request before it is complete.2State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check System The fastest route is the online CFLC portal: provide your business name, FFL number and expiration date, address, and contact information; let the system validate your FFL; then set a password.4California Department of Justice. CFLC User Manual FFLs without internet access can enroll by mailing or faxing a CFLC Enrollment Application; the DOJ then sends back a dedicated phone and fax number for future requests.3State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check Program Frequently Asked Questions Enrollment is free, and there are no recurring charges.
Information to Have Ready
Before you start a request, collect the following. Every field on the request form is mandatory, and an incomplete submission will not be processed.5California Department of Justice. California Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) Firearms Shipment Approval Letter Request Form
- Your CFLC logon ID and password.
- The recipient’s five-digit Centralized List number. Ask the receiving dealer directly if you don’t have it.
- The number of handguns and long guns in the shipment.
- The invoice number for the shipment.
- Your FFL number and contact information.
The most common cause of a Do Not Ship response is a wrong Centralized List number for an otherwise legitimate recipient. Confirm the five-digit number with the receiving dealer before you submit.
Submit the Request
The online CFLC portal is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and returns an approval or Do Not Ship response immediately. When approved, you print the Firearm Shipment Approval Letter on the spot.2State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check System
If you cannot use the online system, you may submit the BOF 08-300 form by mail, fax, or email to the Bureau of Firearms Centralized List Unit, or call (916) 210-2750. These channels are available only during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, and the DOJ returns the approval letter by fax or email after processing.2State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Firearms Licensee Check System The statute specifies these alternate methods for out-of-state FFLs without internet access and for times when the online system has technical problems.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27555
If you receive a Do Not Ship response, do not send the firearms. Verify the Centralized List number with the recipient and resubmit.4California Department of Justice. CFLC User Manual
Ship With the Letter, and Give the Number to the Recipient
Print the approval letter and put one copy in the shipment box with the firearm. Keep a second copy for your own records.4California Department of Justice. CFLC User Manual The statute also requires the shipping FFL to provide the unique verification number to the recipient along with the firearm upon delivery.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27555 The receiving California FFL needs the number for its transaction records, so don’t treat it as paperwork only the shipper cares about.
What the Letter Doesn’t Do
The approval letter authorizes the firearm to reach a California FFL. It doesn’t complete the transfer to the end buyer. The receiving dealer still has to process a Dealer Record of Sale (DROS), which triggers a background check and starts California’s mandatory 10-day waiting period before the buyer can pick up the firearm.6State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearms Dealer FAQs If you are planning a purchase around a shipment, build that 10-day wait into your timeline on top of any transit time.