In California, the firearms relinquishment form you file depends on the type of order against you: DV-800/JV-270 for domestic violence restraining orders, CR-800 for criminal protective orders, EA-800 for elder or dependent adult abuse orders, and CH-800 for civil harassment orders. Each is a Judicial Council receipt that a law enforcement officer or licensed dealer completes after you turn in your firearms, and you then file it with the court. For a domestic violence order, you have 24 hours to surrender the firearms and 48 hours to file the receipt.1California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 527.9
Picking the Right Form
California does not use a single universal relinquishment form. The Judicial Council publishes a separate receipt for each category of order, and the form has to match the case:
- DV-800/JV-270, Receipt for Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition (Domestic Violence Prevention), for domestic violence restraining orders.
- CR-800, the criminal protective order version, used for orders issued on forms CR-160, CR-161, or CR-162.
- EA-800, for elder or dependent adult abuse protective orders.
- CH-800, for civil harassment restraining orders that include a firearms prohibition.
All four work the same way. The law enforcement agency or licensed dealer that takes your firearms fills out the receiving section, and you file the completed form with the court. Each is available for download on the California Courts website or at the court clerk’s office.2Judicial Branch of California. How Do I Turn In, Sell, or Store My Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition? (DV-800-INFO) The rest of this article uses the DV-800 as the example because domestic violence orders are the most common trigger, but the mechanics are the same for the other three.
What You Have to Turn In
Relinquishment is broader than just firearms. You must also hand over all ammunition and all firearm parts, including receivers, frames, and any item that could readily be completed or converted into a functional receiver or frame.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 16531 Unfinished lower receivers and partially machined frames count. Overlooking parts like these is a common compliance mistake, and courts treat it the same as failing to turn in a complete firearm.
Firearms lawfully owned by someone you live with are not automatically subject to the order. Your cohabitant does have to store them in a locked container or with a locking device that you cannot access.
The 24-Hour and 48-Hour Deadlines
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 527.9, you must physically relinquish all firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts within 24 hours of being served with the order. You then have 48 hours from the time of service to file the completed receipt form with the court, unless a judge sets a different deadline.4California Courts. DV-800-INFO How Do I Turn In, Sell, or Store My Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition?
If no receipt reaches the court within 48 hours, the clerk must immediately notify law enforcement, including details about your firearms and the order. At the next hearing the judge will check the file and ask whether you’ve complied. If you haven’t, the violation gets referred to the prosecuting attorney within two business days.1California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 527.9
Three Ways to Relinquish
California gives you three options. Any of them satisfies the order as long as the right receipt form gets filed afterward.
Surrender to Law Enforcement
Bring your firearms, parts, and ammunition to a local law enforcement agency. An officer completes and signs the law enforcement section of the receipt (Section 4 of the DV-800), listing their name, agency, address, the date and time of the transfer, and every item surrendered.5California Courts. Receipt for Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition (Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention) The officer signs under penalty of perjury. Keep the original to file with the court and ask for a copy for yourself.
Sell to a Licensed Dealer
You may sell the firearms outright to a California-licensed firearms dealer. The dealer completes and signs the dealer section of the receipt with their name, business address, and federal firearms license number, plus the itemized list of what was transferred. The sale has to be genuine, and the dealer’s completed form is your proof of compliance.
Store With a Licensed Dealer
If you don’t want to permanently lose the firearms, you can pay a licensed dealer to store them for the duration of the order. The dealer fills out the same receipt documenting what they took in.6California Courts. CH-800-INFO How Do I Turn In, Sell, or Store My Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition? Not every dealer offers storage, and those that do usually charge a monthly fee, so call ahead. If the dealer can’t accept firearm parts, you’ll need to find another dealer or surrender those items to law enforcement separately. Storage keeps you in compliance and preserves your ability to get the firearms back once the order expires.
How the Receipt Form Gets Filled Out
The official title of the domestic violence version is Receipt for Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition, designated as form DV-800/JV-270.7California Courts. DV-800/JV-270 Receipt for Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition Bring a blank copy when you go to the law enforcement agency or dealer so they can complete their section on the spot.
At the top of the form you enter your case name and case number, which must match the restraining order exactly. The officer or dealer then fills out their designated section, listing every firearm by make, model, and serial number along with any ammunition and parts. If there isn’t enough space, additional items go on an attachment. The person accepting the items signs under penalty of perjury confirming the transfer details, including date and time.
You don’t complete the law enforcement or dealer section yourself. Your job is to provide the case information, deliver the items, and file the completed form. The companion instruction sheet, DV-800-INFO, walks through the whole process and lives on the same California Courts website.4California Courts. DV-800-INFO How Do I Turn In, Sell, or Store My Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition?
Filing the Form and Serving the Other Party
Once the officer or dealer has signed, file the original with the Superior Court clerk handling your case. Ask the clerk for at least two file-stamped copies: one for your own records and one to serve on the other party.4California Courts. DV-800-INFO How Do I Turn In, Sell, or Store My Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition? The clerk’s stamp is what creates the official record of compliance.
If law enforcement served you with the restraining order, give a copy of the filed receipt back to that agency. If you aren’t sure which agency served you, the clerk can pull the proof of service for the restraining order and tell you.
A file-stamped copy also has to be formally served on the protected party or their attorney. The person who serves it must be at least 18 and not a party to the case. They can deliver it in person or send it by first-class mail.8California Courts. POS-030 Proof of Service by First-Class Mail – Civil After serving the document, that person completes a Judicial Council Proof of Service form: POS-030 for mail service, POS-020 for personal delivery. File the completed Proof of Service with the court as well. Until this step is done, the compliance record is incomplete even though the firearms are already gone.
If You Don’t Own Any Firearms
The order doesn’t assume you actually have firearms. If you don’t own any firearms, ammunition, or parts, file a written declaration under penalty of perjury saying so. This is a separate document from the DV-800 receipt. Bring the signed declaration to your hearing or file it with the clerk before the deadline. Without something on file, the court has no way to confirm compliance and may treat silence the same as a missed deadline.
Criminal Convictions Use a Different Process
If the relinquishment stems from a felony or qualifying misdemeanor conviction rather than a protective order, this form and these deadlines do not apply. Under Penal Code 29810, a convicted person files a Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form with their probation officer, not the court clerk, within five days of conviction (or 14 days if in custody, with the clock resetting to five days from release). The firearms still go to law enforcement or a licensed dealer, but receipts travel to probation, and the court then sets a separate Firearms Relinquishment Hearing. The court can shorten or extend those timelines for good cause.
The Federal Prohibition Runs Separately
Filing the state receipt doesn’t address federal law. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), anyone subject to a qualifying domestic violence restraining order is independently prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition if the order was issued after a hearing you had notice of and an opportunity to attend, restrains you from threatening or harassing an intimate partner or their child, and either includes a finding that you represent a credible threat or explicitly prohibits the use of physical force.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 Unlawful Acts Violation is a separate federal felony carrying up to 10 years. Qualifying orders are also reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, so you will fail a background check anywhere in the country while the order is active.10eCFR. Subpart A – The National Instant Criminal Background Check System
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
Missing the 24-hour or 48-hour window triggers a chain of enforcement. The clerk notifies law enforcement as soon as the filing window closes without a receipt. At the next hearing, the judge reviews the file and questions you directly about compliance. If the answer is unsatisfactory, the court reports the violation to the prosecuting attorney within two business days.1California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 527.9
The prosecutor can then seek a search warrant for your home and vehicles to find any firearms you failed to turn in. You can also face new criminal charges for illegal possession of a firearm while subject to a restraining order under Penal Code 29825.11California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 29825 Those charges are separate from and in addition to any penalties for violating the underlying order. The 24-hour and 48-hour windows are not suggestions, and courts tend to read a missed deadline as willful non-compliance.