A firearm with “UZI” stamped on the receiver is illegal to own in California no matter how it is configured, but an Uzi-style clone built by another manufacturer can be legal if it satisfies the state’s feature restrictions, magazine capacity limits, and minimum length rules. Getting a California legal Uzi build right means working from a non-“UZI”-marked receiver and then clearing several independent rules that each, on their own, can turn the rifle into an unregistered assault weapon.
Why Any “UZI”-Marked Firearm Is Banned Outright
California Penal Code section 30510 lists specific firearms as assault weapons by name, and both “UZI” rifles and “UZI” pistols appear on that list.1California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code PEN 30510 The ban is triggered by the name on the receiver, not by who made it or how it is configured. Swapping parts, removing features, or pinning the magazine does not change the status. If the receiver says “UZI,” it is illegal to manufacture, import, sell, or possess in the state.
Possessing an unregistered firearm that falls under the name ban is charged under Penal Code section 30605. The offense is a wobbler. A misdemeanor conviction carries up to one year in county jail and a fine up to $1,000. A felony conviction carries 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison and a fine up to $10,000.2California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30605 Manufacturing, importing, or selling such a firearm is prosecuted under Penal Code section 30600 and carries four, six, or eight years in state prison.3California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30600
What Makes an Uzi Clone an Assault Weapon
A clone from a different manufacturer avoids the name ban, but it still has to clear Penal Code section 30515, which defines assault weapons by physical features. A semi-automatic, centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine becomes an assault weapon if it has any one of these features:4California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30515
- A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action
- A thumbhole stock
- A folding or telescoping stock
- A flash suppressor
- A forward pistol grip
- A grenade or flare launcher
Any semi-automatic centerfire rifle with an overall length under 30 inches is automatically an assault weapon, regardless of features.5State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Assault Weapons Laws That minimum catches short Uzi carbine builds that might otherwise pass the feature test.
Two Compliant Build Paths
If the receiver is not an “UZI” and the overall length is 30 inches or more, you have two ways to clear the feature test: strip the features off, or keep them and lock down the magazine.
Featureless Build
Remove every prohibited feature. For an Uzi-pattern rifle that means no traditional pistol grip, no folding or telescoping stock, no flash suppressor, and no forward grip. Owners commonly install a fin grip that wraps around the pistol grip area and prevents the shooter’s thumb from encircling it. The fin grip is less ergonomic, but it preserves the standard magazine release location, which is why many builders prefer this route. A featureless build can accept a standard detachable magazine, because section 30515 only pairs “detachable magazine” with the presence of a prohibited feature. Remove every feature and the detachable magazine is no longer the trigger.
Fixed Magazine Build
The other path is keeping features like a pistol grip but making the magazine fixed. California defines a fixed magazine as one that cannot be removed without disassembling the firearm action.4California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30515 In practice, that means a device requiring the upper and lower receivers to separate before the magazine releases. Several aftermarket kits do this for AR-pattern rifles; options for Uzi-pattern builds are more limited.
The trade-off is slow, awkward reloading. And a fixed-magazine rifle that holds more than 10 rounds is independently classified as an assault weapon under section 30515, so the capacity cap applies with extra force on this path.
Barrel and Overall Length
Whichever path you choose, the rifle must be at least 30 inches overall, and the barrel must be at least 16 inches to stay out of short-barreled rifle territory, which California bans entirely under Penal Code section 33215.6California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 33215 Builders commonly use extended barrels or permanently attach muzzle devices to reach 16 inches. A muzzle device counts toward barrel length only if it is permanently affixed through pinning and welding or an equivalent method.
Federal 922(r) Parts Count
Uzi-pattern rifles are built from an imported design, so federal law adds another layer. Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 922(r), assembling a semi-automatic rifle from imported parts is illegal if the result matches a firearm barred from importation.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 The implementing regulation caps foreign-made parts at 10 from a list of 20 specified components. U.S.-made replacement parts are harder to find for Uzi-pattern rifles than for AR builds, so count the parts before buying a kit.
Magazine Capacity
California bans manufacturing, importing, selling, lending, buying, or receiving any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. Violations are punishable by up to one year in county jail or state prison under Penal Code section 32310.8California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code PEN 32310 Mere possession of a large-capacity magazine is charged separately, either as an infraction with a $100-per-magazine fine or as a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in county jail.
Original Uzi magazines typically hold 25 or 32 rounds and cannot be used here. You need 10-round magazines designed for the platform. The 10-round limit has been litigated for years in Duncan v. Bonta, and as of mid-2026 the case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court at the certiorari stage. Until a final ruling changes it, the limit remains enforceable. The only lawful large-capacity magazines in private hands are those acquired during a brief window in 2019 when a federal district court had struck the law down before the Ninth Circuit reversed.
Short-Barreled Rifles and Constructive Possession
California flatly prohibits short-barreled rifles. Manufacturing, importing, selling, or possessing an SBR is punishable by up to one year in county jail or 16 months to three years in state prison under section 33215.6California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 33215 The federal NFA registration tax for SBRs dropped to $0 in January 2026, but that change does not help here, because the state ban does not recognize federal NFA registration as an exception. A federally registered SBR still violates California law.
Constructive possession is the related trap. If you own an Uzi-pattern host firearm and also keep a rifle stock and a sub-16-inch barrel on the shelf, federal authorities may treat you as possessing an unregistered SBR based on what the parts could become, even when stored separately. The theory looks at capability and intent: when the only logical use for a combination of parts is an NFA-regulated weapon, possessing the parts can equal possessing the weapon.
Why a Pistol-Format Clone Is Rarely an Option
For a semi-automatic pistol with a detachable magazine, section 30515’s prohibited features include a threaded barrel and the ability to accept a magazine outside the pistol grip.4California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 30515 Classic Uzi designs feed through the pistol grip, which can sidestep that specific trigger, but threaded barrels are common on Uzi-pattern pistols and will independently create an assault weapon classification.
Even past the feature rules, there is the Handgun Roster. Since January 2001, no handgun may be sold in California unless the specific model has been tested and certified by the Department of Justice. No Uzi-pattern pistol currently appears on the roster.9California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Handguns Certified for Sale Private-party transfers and limited exemptions exist, but finding a roster-exempt path that also clears the assault weapon rules is exceptionally difficult. For most buyers, the rifle-length build is the only realistic route.
Buying a Compliant Build
The purchase goes through a licensed California dealer. The dealer submits a Dealer Record of Sale to the Department of Justice, and the total state fee for the DROS and background check is $37.19. A mandatory 10-day waiting period begins when the DROS is submitted, and you cannot take possession until it expires.10California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions An out-of-state purchase has to ship to a California FFL dealer, who processes the DROS and background check on their end and typically charges a separate transfer fee on top of the state fee.
Inheriting a Registered Uzi
A small number of Uzis were lawfully registered during California’s grandfathering periods. Category 1 weapons had to be registered by the early 1990s, and the Category 3 window closed on June 30, 2018. No registration window is currently open, and there is no way to register a new assault weapon today.
Under Penal Code section 30945, a registered assault weapon may only be kept at your home, transported unloaded in a locked container to and from licensed shooting ranges, and used at those ranges. It cannot be rented out.11California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions – Assault Weapons and .50 BMG
When the registered owner dies, the heir has 90 days to act. Under Penal Code sections 30915 and 30935, the options are to remove the firearm from California, render it permanently inoperable, sell it to a licensed dealer holding a DOJ permit to purchase assault weapons, or obtain a DOJ permit to possess it under the process in Penal Code sections 32650 through 32670.11California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions – Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Missing the 90-day deadline turns the heir into someone illegally possessing an unregistered assault weapon.