Can You Buy Guns Online in California? Roster, Costs, Checks

You can buy a gun online in California, but it will not be delivered to your home. Every firearm purchased online has to be shipped to a licensed dealer inside the state, where you complete the paperwork, pass a background check, wait at least 10 days, and pick the gun up in person. Buying guns online in California is less a shortcut than a different route to the same counter.

The Process From Click to Pickup

Federal law bars a licensed dealer from shipping a firearm directly to an unlicensed individual across state lines; the gun has to go to another Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in the buyer’s home state, who then handles the transfer.¹ California goes a step further: even a private sale between two residents of the state has to run through a licensed dealer. There is no legal path to receiving a firearm in California without a dealer in the middle.

In practice, the sequence looks like this:

Find a California FFL willing to receive the transfer and confirm their fee. Not every shop accepts transfers from outside sellers.
Place the order with the online retailer and give them your FFL’s information. The seller usually needs a copy of the receiving dealer’s federal license.
Once the firearm arrives at the FFL, go in with your identification, proof of residency, and Firearm Safety Certificate.
Complete the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) form. This triggers the background check and starts the 10-day waiting period.²
On or after day 11, return to the dealer and perform a safe handling demonstration on that type of firearm.³
Take possession.

The 10-day wait has no exceptions. It applies to returning buyers, collectors, and people who already own firearms.

What You Need Before You Order

Several requirements have to be in place before you click buy. Showing up at the FFL without them means paying transfer and shipping fees for a firearm you cannot take home.

Age

You must be at least 21 to purchase any firearm in California, including long guns, unless you qualify for a law enforcement or military exemption.⁴ This is stricter than the federal floor of 18 for rifles and shotguns.⁵

Firearm Safety Certificate

Every buyer needs a valid Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) before a dealer can transfer a firearm.⁶ You earn it by passing a 30-question written test with at least 75%, administered by a DOJ Certified Instructor, usually at a gun shop. The fee is $25 and covers two attempts.⁷ Get this done before placing your online order.

Identification and Proof of Residency

A valid California driver’s license or state ID card satisfies the federal identity requirement.¹ For handgun purchases, California requires a separate proof of residency document. Acceptable options include a utility bill dated within the last three months, a signed residential lease, a property deed, or certain other government-issued documents. The name and address have to match your driver’s license or your DROS entry.⁸

A Safety Device

Every firearm sold in California must come with an approved safety device, such as a cable lock. Dealers usually include one in the transfer. Alternatively, you can provide proof of a DOJ-approved lock box or gun safe that fits the firearm, which requires a purchase receipt and a signed affidavit.⁹

What You Can and Can’t Buy Online

Not every firearm legally sold elsewhere in the United States can be transferred to a California resident. This is the step that trips up most online shoppers.

Handgun Roster

California maintains a Roster of Certified Handguns, and dealers can only transfer handguns that appear on it after passing specific firing, safety, and drop tests.¹⁰ Before paying an out-of-state retailer, check the exact make and model against the roster on the California DOJ website. Private party transfers, curio and relic handguns, and certain single-action revolvers are exempt from the roster, but a standard FFL transfer from an online purchase is not.

Assault Weapon Features

California bans the sale and possession of firearms that meet its feature-based definition of an assault weapon. A semiautomatic centerfire rifle without a fixed magazine qualifies if it has any of several features, including a protruding pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, or a grenade or flare launcher.¹¹ Similar tests apply to semiautomatic pistols and shotguns. Many rifles sold freely in other states fail this test, so look specifically for configurations marketed as California compliant. Reputable retailers flag these, but the legal responsibility is yours.

Magazine Capacity

California restricts magazines holding more than 10 rounds.¹² The ban has been contested in Duncan v. Bonta, and as of early 2025 the Ninth Circuit has upheld the ban on sales and transfers. The case remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, but the practical rule for an online buyer is unchanged: do not attempt to purchase or import a magazine holding more than 10 rounds.

What It Costs Beyond the Sticker Price

The retailer’s listed price is only part of what you pay. Budget for:

DROS and related state fees of $37.19, split between the DROS Special Account ($31.19), the Firearm Safety and Enforcement Special Fund ($5), and the Firearm Safety Account ($1).¹³
The receiving FFL’s transfer fee, typically $20 to $75 depending on the shop. Call ahead.
$25 for the Firearm Safety Certificate if you don’t already have a valid one.⁷
Shipping from the online seller to your FFL, which varies by retailer.

Expect roughly $75 to $150 in added fees on top of the firearm’s price.

The Background Check and What Happens if It’s Denied

When you submit the DROS, the dealer sends your information to the California Department of Justice, which runs a state records check and a federal check through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The 10-day waiting period runs alongside it, and in most cases the check clears well within that window. You pick up on day 11, since the application day doesn’t count.²

A denial is not necessarily permanent. Errors in criminal records, mistaken identity (particularly with common names), and outdated entries all generate false denials. You can challenge a denial through the FBI’s electronic challenge portal using the NICS Transaction Number from your check. Submitting fingerprints is optional but speeds up resolution if the problem is identity confusion. The FBI must issue a final decision within 60 calendar days, and if the denial is sustained you can go to the agency holding the underlying record to correct it. Federal law also allows a civil lawsuit challenging a wrongful denial.¹⁴

Two Boundaries That Trip People Up

Buying online does not create any distance from federal straw-purchase rules. If you buy a firearm on behalf of someone else, particularly someone who cannot legally buy one themselves, that is a standalone federal felony carrying up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, rising to 25 years if the firearm is used in a felony, a terrorist act, or drug trafficking.¹⁵ The ATF Form 4473 you sign at the FFL asks directly whether you are the actual buyer; a false answer is a separate crime. Buying a firearm as a genuine gift for someone legally eligible to own it is permitted.

Multiple handgun purchases also draw federal attention. If you buy two or more handguns within five consecutive business days, the FFL must report the sale to the ATF and local law enforcement the same day.¹⁶ California had a one-firearm-per-30-days law, but a federal court injunction issued August 15, 2024, currently prohibits enforcement, so there is no enforceable state cap on the number of firearms you can buy if you are otherwise eligible. That could change on appeal, so check the California DOJ’s FAQ before planning multiple purchases.¹⁷

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Licensee Quick Reference and Best Practices Guide
2
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26815
3
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 11 4258 – Safe Handling Demonstration
4
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Overview of Key California Firearms Laws
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
6
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 31615
7
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearm Safety Certificate Program FAQs
8
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Evidence of Residency Documentation – Title 11, Division 5, Chapter 4
9
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 11 4102 – Lock Box
10
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Handguns Certified for Sale
11
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30515
12
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32310
13
California Legislative Analyst’s Office. The 2026-27 Budget – Department of Justice
14
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Requesting Reason for and/or Challenging a NICS-Related Denial
15
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy
16
eCFR. 27 CFR 478.126a – Reporting Multiple Sales or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers
17
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions