You cannot walk into a California gun store and buy a Glock 43 off the shelf. The pistol is not on the state’s Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale, so no licensed dealer can sell you a new one. That is the central fact for anyone trying to figure out how to buy a Glock 43 in California, and it shapes every legal path that remains open to you: a private party transfer through a dealer, an intrafamilial gift from a parent or grandparent, or bringing one into the state when you move.
Why Dealers Cannot Sell You One
California makes it a misdemeanor to sell, import for sale, or offer for sale any handgun the state deems “unsafe.”1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32000 For semiautomatic pistols not already grandfathered, “safe” means the gun has passed firing and drop tests and includes a chamber load indicator and a magazine disconnect mechanism.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 31910 Only pistols that meet those requirements appear on the Department of Justice roster, and only roster pistols can be sold new by dealers.3State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Handguns Certified for Sale
The Glock 43 has neither a chamber load indicator nor a magazine disconnect, and Glock has not redesigned it to add them. That keeps the gun off the roster and off dealer shelves.
Private Party Transfer: The Usual Route
The most common legal way for an ordinary California resident to acquire a Glock 43 is a private party transfer, known as a PPT. State law exempts person-to-person sales from the roster restriction as long as the transaction is run through a licensed dealer.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32110 Buyer and seller must both be California residents and must both appear in person at the dealer with valid ID.
Before taking possession, you need a valid Firearm Safety Certificate. That requires passing a 30-question written test with at least 75 percent and paying a $25 fee.5State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearm Safety Certificate Program The dealer then submits the Dealer Record of Sale, which starts the mandatory 10-day waiting period while the Department of Justice runs its background check.6State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions
The transfer fees are modest: the state’s $31.19 DROS background check fee plus a dealer processing fee capped at $10 per firearm.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. California Code of Regulations 4001 – DROS Fees The gun itself is where the cost hits. Supply is limited to whatever existing California owners decide to sell, and off-roster handguns routinely trade at two to three times the out-of-state retail price. A Glock 43 that runs around $450 elsewhere commonly sells for $900 to $1,300 or more on the California secondary market.
Gifts From a Parent or Grandparent
California exempts intrafamilial firearm transfers from both the dealer-transfer requirement and the roster. A parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild can give you a firearm directly, and the gun does not need to be on the roster.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27875 It must be a genuine gift or inheritance rather than a disguised sale, and it must be infrequent as the statute defines that term. Siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify.
If the family member lives out of state, federal law still requires the handgun to ship through a federally licensed dealer, but California’s roster will not block the transfer. Within 30 days of taking possession, you must file a Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction with the Department of Justice, along with a $19 processing fee, a copy of your California ID, and your Firearm Safety Certificate number.9State of California Department of Justice. Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction
Bringing a Glock 43 When You Move to California
If you already own a Glock 43 and relocate to California, the roster does not stop you from bringing it with you. The roster governs dealer sales, not personal possession. You are treated as a personal firearm importer and must report the handgun to the Department of Justice within 60 days of entering the state.10California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27560 You use the New Resident Firearm Ownership Report form and pay a $19 processing fee.11State of California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership – BOF 4010A
Missing the 60-day window can lead to misdemeanor charges and leaves a gap in state records that may complicate future transfers. The firearm also has to comply with every other California law when it crosses the border. A factory-configured Glock 43 is fine. Extended magazines holding more than ten rounds are not, and you should leave them behind.
What You Should Not Try
Sworn peace officers can buy off-roster handguns directly from dealers, which is part of why any Glock 43s circulate in California at all.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32000 An officer who later wants to sell can do so through a normal private party transfer at a licensed dealer.12State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. State Exemptions for Authorized Peace Officers
If someone offers you an off-roster Glock 43 informally, skipping the dealer, that sale is illegal and dangerous for both sides. An officer who repeatedly buys off-roster handguns and flips them crosses into dealing firearms without a license, a federal felony carrying up to five years. Buying a firearm while falsely claiming to be the actual buyer, intending to pass it on, is a straw purchase and carries up to ten years. There is no quiet workaround here.
Magazines and Modifications That Create New Problems
California bars possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds.13State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Bonta Backs D.C.’s Large Capacity Magazine Ban The Glock 43 ships with a six-round magazine, and the common aftermarket extensions run six, seven, and eight rounds. All compliant.
Modifying the pistol is where owners get into trouble. Installing a threaded barrel on a semiautomatic pistol with a detachable magazine reclassifies the gun as an assault weapon under California law, and assault weapon possession is a felony.14State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Assault Weapons Laws – California and Federal Law A stock Glock 43 does not trigger any of the pistol-based assault weapon features, but anyone planning aftermarket work should check the full list before changing anything.
Carrying Your Glock 43 on a CCW
Once you legally own a Glock 43, you can list it on a California concealed carry weapon license. The roster controls dealer sales, not what a permit holder may carry. The handgun generally needs to be listed on the permit by make, model, and serial number during the application, and your issuing authority may attach conditions covering when, where, and how you carry.
Pending Court Challenges
The handgun roster has been challenged in federal court, most prominently in Boland v. Bonta. As of early 2026 the case remains unresolved after portions were vacated and remanded, and no ruling has changed the roster system. A future decision could reopen dealer sales of pistols like the Glock 43, but the rules above remain in full force today, and planning around a ruling that has not happened is not a legal strategy.