If you’re moving to California with firearms, you have 60 days from the day you establish residency to report each one to the California Department of Justice, sell or transfer it through a licensed dealer, or turn it over to law enforcement. That’s the core of California’s new resident gun registration rule, and it applies to every firearm you bring across the state line with the intent to stay.
The report itself is straightforward. Most new residents complete form BOF 4010A, pay a flat $19 fee, and are done. The complications come from two places: figuring out exactly when your 60 days started, and discovering that something in your collection isn’t legal to possess in California at all.
The 60-Day Deadline and Your Four Options
Penal Code section 27560 classifies anyone who moves into California with firearms as a “personal firearm importer.” For each firearm, you have 60 days to do one of the following:1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27560
- Report it to the DOJ using the New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership (form BOF 4010A).
- Sell or transfer it through a California-licensed firearms dealer to another eligible person.
- Sell or transfer it directly to a California-licensed dealer.
- Surrender it to a local police or sheriff’s department. Call first to ask about their intake procedure before arriving with a firearm.
The last three options matter most if you own something California prohibits. Assault weapons, machine guns, and .50 BMG rifles cannot be registered through the new resident process, so for those, selling, transferring, or surrendering is the only lawful path.2California Department of Justice. Firearms Information for New California Residents
When Your 60 Days Actually Start
The clock starts when you bring a firearm into California with the intent to stay. California ties residency to the same standard it uses for vehicle registration: you become a resident when you take concrete steps like renting or buying a home, getting a California driver’s license, registering to vote, or enrolling children in school.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 17000 Military members are considered to establish residency when discharged from active service in California.
Visiting California briefly with firearms isn’t the same as moving. The personal firearm importer requirements don’t apply to a visitor passing through. But intent is subjective, so if your plans are shifting toward staying, treating the earlier date as the start of your 60 days is the safer approach.
Firearms You Cannot Bring Into California
California bans several categories of weapons that are legal in most other states. Bringing a prohibited item across the line can result in felony charges regardless of whether you owned it lawfully before. Review your collection against this list before you pack:
- Assault weapons, as defined by features in Penal Code 30515 or listed by name in the DOJ registry. The definition is feature-based and catches many AR- and AK-pattern rifles that don’t appear on any named list. If you’re unsure, treat it as suspect and get specific legal advice before moving it.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30515
- .50 BMG rifles, unless lawfully registered in California before April 30, 2006.5California Department of Justice. Assault Weapons and .50 BMG Frequently Asked Questions
- Suppressors (silencers). Possession is a felony even if you hold a valid federal ATF tax stamp.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 33410
- Short-barreled rifles (barrel under 16 inches) and short-barreled shotguns (barrel under 18 inches), under Penal Code 33215, even with ATF approval.
- Machine guns. Fully automatic firearms are banned for civilian possession.
- Magazines holding more than 10 rounds. California generally prohibits importing, selling, or possessing large-capacity magazines.7California Department of Justice. California’s Large-Capacity Ban Declared Constitutional
A federal ATF registration does not make an NFA item legal in California. State law operates independently and rejects most NFA categories outright. If you own suppressors or short-barreled rifles that are legal where you live now, sell them, store them with someone out of state, or otherwise dispose of them before moving.
Off-Roster Handguns Are Allowed
One point of common confusion: California’s Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale restricts what dealers can sell to consumers. It does not restrict what a new resident can bring in. You can legally import an off-roster handgun through the new resident report, provided it isn’t otherwise prohibited. This is one of the few lawful routes for off-roster handguns to enter the state.
Home-Built or Unserialized Firearms
If you own a firearm without a manufacturer-applied serial number, Penal Code 29180 adds a second obligation on the same 60-day clock. You must apply to the DOJ for a unique serial number within 60 days of arriving. Once the DOJ issues it, you have 10 days to engrave or permanently affix the number to the firearm and notify the department that the work is complete.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 29180 You’re running the serialization process and the new resident report in parallel.
What the BOF 4010A Asks For
The New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership requires your full name, date of birth, California residential address, and California driver’s license or ID card number.9California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership
If your California ID or driver’s license shows “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” on the front, you must also submit proof of lawful presence. A valid U.S. passport or passport card works, as does a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate from a city, county, or state vital statistics office.
For each firearm, you’ll list the make, model, serial number, caliber, barrel length, and country of origin. The form suggests checking your owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website for anything you can’t identify. The processing fee is a flat $19 for the entire report, regardless of how many firearms it covers.
You do not need a Firearm Safety Certificate to register through this process. The FSC requirement applies to purchases and transfers through dealers, not to personal importation.10California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions
How to Submit
The DOJ accepts the report two ways. Online submission goes through the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS): create an account, complete the report electronically, and pay the $19 online. The system emails status updates as the report is processed.11California Department of Justice. Firearms Reporting and Law Enforcement Release Application
To submit by mail, print and complete form BOF 4010A, enclose a check or money order for $19 payable to the Department of Justice, and send everything to the Bureau of Firearms at P.O. Box 820200, Sacramento, CA 94203-0200.
Once the DOJ has your report, it runs a firearms eligibility background check. If you pass, a confirmation notice follows. If the check flags you as a prohibited person, the DOJ won’t register the firearms and may pursue enforcement. Online submission is generally faster than mail.
Transporting Firearms Into the State
How you physically move your firearms matters. All firearms must be unloaded during transport. Handguns must be stored in a locked container in the trunk, or if the vehicle has no trunk, in a locked container somewhere other than the glove compartment or utility compartment. A locked container means a fully enclosed case secured with a padlock, key lock, or combination lock. Long guns must also be unloaded; they generally don’t need to be in a locked container unless they qualify as assault weapons. Ammunition should be stored separately.
Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle on a public street is a criminal offense under Penal Code 25850, and California peace officers have authority to inspect firearms to determine whether they are loaded.12California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850
Penalties for Missing the Deadline
Failing to report is a crime. Under Penal Code 27590, a basic violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.13California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27590
If the unreported firearm is a handgun or a semiautomatic centerfire rifle, the maximum jail exposure rises to one year in county jail, with the same $1,000 fine ceiling. In some circumstances the violation is a wobbler, meaning prosecutors can charge it as a felony depending on the facts.
Law enforcement can also seize an unreported firearm. Given that the full process costs $19 and can be completed online in a few minutes, missing the deadline is a bad trade for anyone.