California firearms laws regulate who can own a gun, which models and accessories are legal, how every sale must be processed, where firearms can be carried, and how they must be stored and transported. Penalties range from misdemeanors with up to a year in county jail to felonies carrying multi-year prison terms. The rules have shifted recently through SB 2 on concealed carry, SB 452 on the handgun roster, and ongoing litigation over magazine limits and open carry.
Who Cannot Own a Firearm in California
A felony conviction under state or federal law triggers a lifetime ban on owning or possessing any firearm. Possession in violation of that ban is itself a separate felony.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 29800 The same lifetime ban applies to anyone convicted of certain violent offenses listed in Penal Code 23515, even when charged as misdemeanors, and to anyone addicted to a narcotic drug.
A 10-year prohibition kicks in after conviction for a long list of misdemeanors, including assault, battery, domestic violence, stalking, criminal threats, and brandishing a weapon. During those 10 years you cannot own, buy, or possess a firearm. Violating the ban is punishable by up to one year in county jail or state prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 29805
Firearm possession is also barred for anyone subject to an active domestic violence restraining order, civil harassment restraining order, or gun violence restraining order. California bars possession by anyone placed under involuntary psychiatric commitment, and federal law adds an indefinite prohibition on anyone formally committed to a mental institution by a court.
California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order process lets family members, household members, employers, coworkers, teachers, and law enforcement petition a court to temporarily strip someone of firearms, ammunition, and magazines based on evidence that the person poses a significant danger. A full GVRO requires clear and convincing evidence at a hearing and lasts between one and five years; the subject must surrender everything within 48 hours.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 18175 Emergency and ex parte orders can issue on shorter notice.
Which Firearms and Accessories Are Illegal
Assault Weapons
California bans the manufacture, import, sale, and general possession of firearms meeting feature-based definitions. For a semiautomatic centerfire rifle without a fixed magazine, any one of the following features makes it an assault weapon: a protruding pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a flash suppressor, a forward pistol grip, or a grenade or flare launcher. A fixed magazine holding more than 10 rounds, or an overall length under 30 inches, also qualifies the rifle as an assault weapon.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 30515 Parallel feature tests apply to semiautomatic pistols and shotguns, and revolving-cylinder shotguns are banned outright.
Manufacturing, importing, or selling an assault weapon is a felony punishable by four, six, or eight years in prison, with a one-year consecutive enhancement if the transfer is to a minor.5California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 30600
The Handgun Roster
Licensed dealers can only sell handgun models that appear on the Department of Justice’s roster of certified handguns. A handgun gets on the roster by passing firing, safety, and drop tests at an independent laboratory.6State of California – Department of Justice. Handguns Certified for Sale Semiautomatic pistols must include a magazine disconnect mechanism and a loaded chamber indicator.
A microstamping requirement had effectively frozen the roster for new semiautomatic pistols because no manufacturer had implemented the technology at scale. SB 452, signed in 2024, removed that requirement, which should allow new models to be submitted for testing and added going forward.7LegiScan. California SB 452 – 2023-2024 Regular Session Off-roster handguns can still change hands through private party transfers, certain law enforcement sales, and intrafamilial transfers.
Suppressors and Short-Barreled Long Guns
Suppressors (silencers), short-barreled rifles (barrels under 16 inches), and short-barreled shotguns (barrels under 18 inches) are banned under California law regardless of federal registration. The federal $200 tax stamp fee for suppressors and short-barreled rifles was eliminated in 2026, but a federal NFA registration does not make any of these items legal to possess in California.
Magazines Over 10 Rounds
California prohibits the manufacture, import, sale, and possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, with narrow exceptions for tubular .22 caliber feeding devices and permanently altered magazines.8Office of the Attorney General of California. California’s Large-Capacity Ban Declared Constitutional In 2025 the Ninth Circuit en banc upheld the ban, and plaintiffs petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court. As of 2026 the prohibition is still enforceable while the petition is pending.
How to Buy a Firearm Legally
Firearm Safety Certificate First
Before you can buy any firearm, you need a valid Firearm Safety Certificate. You earn one by passing a 30-question written test on firearm safety and basic legal requirements, with a passing score of 75 percent (23 correct answers).9State of California – Department of Justice. Firearm Safety Certificate Program FAQs You hand the FSC to the dealer at the start of the transaction. Active and retired law enforcement are among those exempt.
Every Sale Goes Through a Dealer
Every firearm sale or transfer, including private sales between individuals, must be processed by a licensed firearms dealer.10California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 27545 The dealer submits your information through the Dealer Record of Sale system, which triggers a Department of Justice background check. The DROS fee is $31.19 per transaction and covers one or more firearms sold to the same buyer at the same time.11New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Title 11 Section 4001 – DROS Fees
The 10-Day Wait and Safe Handling Demonstration
Once DROS is submitted, a 10-day waiting period runs before the dealer can release the firearm.12State of California – Department of Justice. Firearms Dealers Frequently Asked Questions If the DOJ requests corrections or additional fees, the clock restarts from the date of that submission. At pickup, you perform a safe handling demonstration under the dealer’s supervision, showing you can load, unload, and operate the specific firearm you are receiving.9State of California – Department of Justice. Firearm Safety Certificate Program FAQs
One Handgun per 30 Days, and Proof of Residency
Handgun purchases are capped at one per 30 days. Exceptions apply to private party transfers through a dealer, law enforcement, replacement of a previously reported lost or stolen handgun, and certain licensed collectors acquiring curio and relic firearms. Every buyer must prove California residency. For handguns, that typically means documentation beyond a driver’s license, such as a utility bill, vehicle registration, or property tax bill showing your current residential address.
Ammunition Rules
Ammunition purchases require their own point-of-sale eligibility check, separate from any check done for a firearm purchase. Every sale must go through a licensed ammunition vendor, who queries the Department of Justice to confirm you are authorized to buy. If the system does not confirm your eligibility, the sale is denied. Prohibited persons are banned from possessing ammunition on the same terms as firearms, with violations punishable by up to one year in county jail or state prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.13California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 30305
You cannot have ammunition shipped directly to your home. Any ammunition bought online or from out of state must be sent to a licensed California ammunition vendor, who processes the transaction and runs the eligibility check before releasing it.14State of California – Department of Justice. Regulations – Ammunition Purchases or Transfers
Transporting and Storing Firearms
A handgun carried in a vehicle must be unloaded and placed either in the trunk or in a locked container. The container has to be fully enclosed and secured by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar device. A glove compartment or utility compartment does not qualify, even if it locks.15State of California – Department of Justice. Transporting Firearms in California Rifles and shotguns must also be unloaded during transport but do not need to be in a locked container, provided you are not otherwise prohibited from possessing them.
California penalizes negligent firearm storage on a tiered scale, triggered when you keep a firearm somewhere you know or should know a child or prohibited person is likely to reach it. First-degree criminal storage applies when the child or prohibited person obtains the firearm and causes death or great bodily injury. It is a felony punishable by 16 months, two years, or three years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.16California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 25100 Second-degree storage covers lesser injuries or carrying the firearm to a public place. Third-degree storage applies when a child simply gains access, even without injury. A trigger lock, cable lock, or locked safe is the straightforward way to stay on the right side of the statute when the gun is not on your person.
Carrying Firearms in Public
Concealed Carry After SB 2
Carrying a concealed firearm without a license is usually a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, and becomes a felony if you have prior felony convictions, the firearm is stolen, or you are a prohibited person.17California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 25400 Legal concealed carry requires a Concealed Carry Weapon license from your county sheriff or local police chief.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen struck down the old “good cause” requirement, California enacted SB 2.18California Department of Justice. Legal Alert on Public-Carry License Scheme After Bruen SB 2 also replaced the subjective “good moral character” standard with objective disqualification criteria.19State of California – Department of Justice. Regulations – Carry Concealed Weapons Licenses Licensing authorities now must issue the license unless the applicant falls into a disqualifying category.
Disqualifying factors include being reasonably likely to pose a danger to yourself or others, being subject to a restraining order within the past five years, a conviction for a hate crime or any offense listed in Penal Code 29805 within 10 years, unlawful use or brandishing of a firearm, and certain dismissed charges involving serious offenses within specified lookback periods.20California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26202 Applicants also pass a background check and complete a firearms training course.
Open Carry Is Still Prohibited
Carrying a loaded firearm in public, handgun or long gun, is broadly prohibited. A first offense without aggravating factors is a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine.21California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 25850 Open carry of an unloaded handgun is also banned in public, and open carry of an unloaded long gun is banned in any incorporated city or county.
A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel ruled in January 2026 in Baird v. Bonta that California’s open carry restrictions in densely populated counties violate the Second Amendment. The Attorney General petitioned for rehearing en banc, and the Department of Justice issued guidance that all open carry restrictions remain in effect and should continue to be enforced until further court action.22California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin No. 2026-DLE-04 Relying on the panel decision to carry openly carries real legal risk while the case is unresolved.
Where Your CCW Does Not Let You Carry
Even with a valid CCW, SB 2 created a long list of “sensitive places” where carrying is prohibited. The core categories include:
- State and local government buildings, courthouses, and legislative buildings.
- K-12 schools, preschools, and childcare facilities, including their parking areas.
- Hospitals, nursing homes, urgent care clinics, mental health facilities, and medical offices.
- Buses, trains, and other publicly funded transportation, along with transit stations and parking areas.
- Bars, restaurants, and other establishments selling alcohol for on-site consumption.
- Public parks, athletic areas, playgrounds, youth centers, and adjacent sidewalks.
- Gatherings or events requiring a government permit, plus the surrounding area within 1,000 feet.
- Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers.
The full statutory list is longer and reaches places of worship, libraries, museums, amusement parks, zoos, stadiums, and financial institutions.23LegiScan. California SB 2 – 2023-2024 Regular Session Several provisions are in active litigation, and some have been temporarily enjoined. CCW holders should check the current enforcement status before carrying in any location on the list.