California gun laws are among the strictest in the United States, layering a safety certificate, a 10-day waiting period, universal background checks, bans on specific weapons and features, ammunition purchase checks, and a narrow concealed-carry path on top of federal requirements. The rules reach every stage of ownership, and the penalties for getting them wrong run from $100 infractions to multi-year prison sentences. Here is what applies to you as a buyer, owner, or carrier in the state.
Who Can Buy a Gun in California
Before you can take possession of any firearm from a licensed dealer, you need a valid Firearm Safety Certificate. You earn it by passing a written test on firearm safety and California gun laws administered by a licensed dealer. The test costs $25 and the certificate is good for five years.1State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearm Safety Certificate Program FAQs Antique firearms are exempt. Everything else — handgun or long gun — is covered.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 31615
Every purchase triggers a mandatory 10-day waiting period, during which the Department of Justice runs a background check. California also requires universal background checks, so even a private sale between two individuals must be routed through a licensed dealer: the seller hands over the firearm, the dealer runs the check and holds the gun, and only then does the buyer take it home. Narrow waiting-period exemptions exist for people with a concealed carry license, a Certificate of Eligibility, or a firearm already in the state’s registry, but only if the background check clears first.
Age Requirements
Licensed dealers cannot sell any firearm to anyone under 21. The only exceptions let 18-to-20-year-olds buy a non-handgun, and only if they hold a valid hunting license, serve as an active peace officer, are in the military or National Guard, or are an honorably discharged veteran.3State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions An 18-to-20-year-old who doesn’t fit one of those categories cannot buy any firearm from a licensed dealer in California.
What Firearms Are Banned
California’s Assault Weapons Ban prohibits the sale and possession of firearms in three categories. The first names specific makes and models, including all AK-series rifles, the Colt AR-15 series, the UZI, and dozens of other designated rifles, pistols, and shotguns, along with any minor variation of the listed models.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30510
The second category is features-based. A semi-automatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine becomes an “assault weapon” if it also has any one of the following: 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.5California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30515 Parallel feature tests apply to semi-automatic pistols and shotguns. The third category covers any firearm a court has declared an assault weapon.
.50 BMG rifles are also banned. The registration window closed in April 2006, and unregistered possession is illegal. Even an inherited registered .50 BMG rifle generally has to be rendered inoperable, sold to a specially permitted dealer, moved out of state within 180 days, or kept under a DOJ permit.6State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions
Magazine Capacity
Magazines holding more than 10 rounds are banned. The Ninth Circuit upheld the ban in March 2025 in Duncan v. Bonta, and it is enforceable in 2026.7California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32310 Tube magazines in lever-action rifles and .22 caliber tube feeding devices are excluded.
Simply possessing a large-capacity magazine can be charged as an infraction with a fine up to $100 per magazine, or as a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. Selling, manufacturing, or importing one is more serious: a wobbler that can be filed as a misdemeanor or a felony carrying up to three years in state prison.
Ghost Guns and Self-Manufactured Firearms
Under AB 1621, it is generally illegal to sell, transfer, buy, or possess a completed frame or receiver, or an unfinished firearm precursor part, that does not already carry a serial number. Using a 3D printer or CNC mill to produce a firearm, frame, receiver, or precursor part without a manufacturer’s license is also prohibited.8State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California Ghost Gun Laws Reference Guide In limited cases, such as a new resident bringing an unserialized firearm into the state, the owner can apply to DOJ for a unique serial number, engrave it on the frame or receiver within 10 days, and report the details. Polymer firearms must additionally have 3.7 ounces of stainless steel embedded in the frame during fabrication.
The Handgun Roster
California keeps a roster of handguns certified as safe for sale. If a handgun model isn’t on the roster, licensed dealers generally cannot sell it. As of 2026, roughly 930 models are listed.9State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Handguns Certified for Sale A new semi-automatic pistol has to pass firing and drop-safety tests and include both a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect mechanism.
The roster also carries a microstamping requirement: new semi-automatic pistols must be designed so that a unique code identifying the gun’s make, model, and serial number is imprinted onto each spent cartridge case. Manufacturers have largely declined to adopt the technology, which has frozen most new additions. AB 2847 relaxed the requirement from two imprint locations to one, but it also directs DOJ to remove three older semi-automatic pistols from the roster for each new one added, so the list is shrinking rather than growing.
Buying Ammunition
Every ammunition purchase in California requires a point-of-sale background check through a licensed vendor. If you already appear in the state’s Automated Firearms System, the standard check is $5. If you don’t, a more thorough eligibility check costs $19.10State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Regulations: Ammunition Purchase Fee11California Department of Justice. Ammunition Fee Final Statement of Reasons
You cannot have ammunition shipped directly to your home. Any online order has to be delivered to a licensed vendor for pickup and processing. California residents also cannot legally bring ammunition purchased out of state back into California themselves; it has to go through a licensed vendor.
Carrying a Firearm in Public
Public carry in California requires a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license issued by your county sheriff or local police chief. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen struck down the state’s old “good cause” test that had allowed licensing authorities to deny applicants who couldn’t articulate a specific threat.12California Department of Justice. California’s Public-Carry License Scheme and Public-Carry Criminal Laws Remain Constitutional After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen The other requirements survived and still apply. To qualify, you must:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Complete at least 16 hours of training for an initial license, or 8 hours for a renewal.13California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26165
- Pass a background check that includes fingerprinting and a review of state and federal criminal records.
- Be the registered owner of each firearm listed on the license.
- Not be prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law.
Local processing fees vary by jurisdiction, and the training course cost is separate.
Where You Still Cannot Carry
Senate Bill 2, effective January 1, 2024, designated 26 categories of “sensitive places” where even a licensed CCW holder cannot carry. After a Ninth Circuit ruling, 20 of those 26 categories are currently enforceable. The restricted locations include school zones, preschools, government buildings, courthouses, colleges and universities, airports, polling places, parks, playgrounds, public libraries, stadiums, bars and restaurants serving alcohol, amusement parks, zoos, museums, and casinos.14California Department of Justice. California Department of Justice Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 – Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders The other six categories are enjoined by the courts, and the litigation is ongoing.
Open Carry
Open carry is effectively off the table. California prohibits openly carrying an unloaded handgun in any incorporated city or in prohibited areas of unincorporated counties, whether on your person or inside a vehicle.15California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350 Separate provisions cover loaded firearms. Unless you hold a valid CCW license and are somewhere not designated as sensitive, there is almost no lawful way to carry a firearm in a public space in California.
Storing Firearms Safely
Two situations drive California’s storage rules: unattended vehicles and homes where a child or prohibited person might access a gun.
If you leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle, it must be locked in the trunk, in a locked container placed out of plain view, in a locked container permanently attached to the vehicle’s interior and out of plain view, or in a locked toolbox affixed to a pickup bed. A glove compartment does not count as a locked container. Violations are infractions punishable by a fine up to $1,000.16California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25140
Inside a home, criminal storage of a firearm applies when you keep a loaded gun where a child or prohibited person is likely to access it without taking reasonable steps to prevent that access. The offense comes in three degrees:
- Third degree: negligent storage where a child could reasonably access the firearm. Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
- Second degree: a child actually gains access and causes a non-serious injury or brandishes the weapon in public. Misdemeanor, same penalties.
- First degree: a child gains access and causes serious bodily injury or death. A wobbler, filed as a misdemeanor (up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine) or a felony (up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine).
Reporting a Lost or Stolen Firearm
If a firearm you own or possess is lost or stolen, you must report it to local law enforcement within five days of when you knew or reasonably should have known. If it’s later recovered, you have another five days to notify them. Antique firearms are exempt.17California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25250
Penalties escalate with repeat violations. A first failure to report is an infraction with a fine up to $100. A second violation is an infraction with a fine up to $1,000. A third or later violation becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.
Gun Violence Restraining Orders
California’s red flag law lets courts issue Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs) that temporarily bar a person from possessing firearms and ammunition. A GVRO can be requested by law enforcement, immediate family members, spouses, domestic partners, dating partners, employers, roommates, coworkers, or teachers who have had substantial and regular contact with the person.18California Department of Justice. Model Gun Violence Restraining Order Policy for California Law Enforcement
It usually starts as a temporary order lasting up to 21 days. After a hearing, a court can extend the order for one to five years.19State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Domestic Violence Restraining Orders and Gun Violence Restraining Orders Once served, the subject must surrender all firearms and ammunition. If a law enforcement officer serves the order and requests surrender on the spot, it must happen immediately. Otherwise, the person has 24 hours to turn firearms over to law enforcement or a licensed dealer. Within 48 hours of service, a receipt confirming the surrender has to be filed with both the issuing court and the serving law enforcement agency. Failing to file that receipt is itself a violation of the restraining order.20California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 18120.5
Penalties for Common Firearm Violations
Consequences for breaking California’s gun laws range from small fines to prison time. The most commonly charged violations carry these penalties:
- Possessing an assault weapon: a wobbler. As a felony, 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail. As a misdemeanor, up to one year. A narrow infraction option exists for a first-time offender who lawfully possessed the weapon before it was classified as an assault weapon and surrenders it for destruction.21California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30605
- Selling or manufacturing an assault weapon or.50 BMG rifle: a straight felony punishable by four, six, or eight years in state prison. Selling one to a minor adds a consecutive one-year enhancement.22California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30600
- Carrying a concealed firearm without a license: typically a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. It becomes a felony carrying 16 months to three years if the gun was stolen or the carrier is a gang member. Prior felony or firearm convictions trigger a minimum three-month jail sentence.
- Openly carrying an unloaded handgun in a prohibited area: a misdemeanor. If the carrier also has accessible ammunition and isn’t the gun’s lawful possessor, the penalty increases to up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.15California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350
Penalties are assessed per weapon. Three unregistered assault weapons means three separate counts, each with its own potential sentence and fine. That stacking effect is where California’s enforcement teeth really show.