How to Fill Out and Submit California BOF 4544A: Intra-Familial Firearm Transfer

California BOF 4544A is the Department of Justice form you file to report a firearm you received from an immediate family member or acquired through operation of law, such as an estate settlement or bankruptcy trusteeship. You have 30 days from taking possession to submit it, the processing fee is $19 per report regardless of how many firearms are listed, and you can file by mail or online through the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS).

When BOF 4544A Applies

California Penal Code Section 27545 normally requires every private-party firearm transfer to run through a licensed dealer. Two narrow exemptions let you skip the dealer but still require you to report the transfer to the state on Form 4544A.

The first is an intra-familial transfer under Penal Code Section 27875: an immediate family member gives you a firearm by gift, bequest, or intestate succession. It covers handguns and long guns, and it covers firearms coming in from an out-of-state relative — the 30-day clock starts when the firearm enters California.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 27875 The transfer must be infrequent under Penal Code Section 16730; the exemption is for occasional gifts and inheritances, not ongoing sales between relatives.

The second is an operation of law transfer under Penal Code Section 27920. The form gives examples: serving as executor or administrator of an estate, acting as a trustee in bankruptcy, or taking possession as a secured creditor.2California Department of Justice. Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction Community property division in a divorce can also qualify. You must not be prohibited from possessing firearms, and the same 30-day filing deadline applies.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27920

Who Counts as Immediate Family

For the intra-familial exemption, California limits “immediate family” to your spouse or registered domestic partner, and — by blood, adoption, or steprelation — your parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27880

Aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws are not on that list. A transfer from any of them cannot use Form 4544A and has to go through a licensed dealer under the standard private-party rules.

What to Gather Before You File

Have these in front of you before you start the form:

  • A California driver license, California ID card, or military ID. You will enter the number on the form and include a photocopy with a mailed submission.2California Department of Justice. Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction
  • A valid Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) number. If the firearm is a handgun, an unexpired Handgun Safety Certificate also works. You get an FSC by passing a written test at a licensed dealer. The exemption from using a dealer for the transfer does not exempt you from holding an FSC.5California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearms Reporting and Law Enforcement Release Application
  • Proof of lawful U.S. presence, if your California driver license or ID says “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” on the front. A U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card all qualify.
  • The firearm itself, so you can copy the make, model, serial number, caliber, barrel length, color, and country of origin exactly as marked.
  • Permanent duty station orders showing California assignment, if you are active-duty military using a military ID.

If the name on your “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” ID does not match the name on your proof-of-presence document, include a certified document that explains the difference: a marriage certificate, court name-change order, or adoption record.

Filling Out the Form

Download the PDF from the California Department of Justice firearms forms page. You can complete it on-screen with a PDF editor or print and write by hand. Every field marked with an asterisk is mandatory; miss one and the whole submission comes back unprocessed.2California Department of Justice. Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction

Section A: Owner Information

Enter your full legal name, any aliases, residential street address, mailing address (if different), date of birth, place of birth, gender, height, weight, and phone number. Indicate your ID type and enter the number. Enter your FSC number and mark whether you are a U.S. citizen. Non-citizens provide their Alien Registration Number or I-94 number and country of citizenship.

Section B: Firearm Information

For each firearm, record:

  • Firearm type: handgun, rifle, shotgun, or rifle/shotgun combination.
  • Category, chosen from the list on page three of the form.
  • Serial number, copied exactly from the frame or receiver. For a self-built firearm, indicate that and note whether you obtained a serial number from the DOJ.
  • Make, model, and caliber, using the manufacturer’s markings.
  • Barrel length in inches or centimeters.
  • Firearm origin and color.
  • Date acquired.
  • Acquired from: check spouse, family member (specify the relationship), estate executor, or other. For operation of law transfers, write in the specific circumstance, such as “executor of estate” or “trustee in bankruptcy.”

Two firearms fit on a page. For more than two, attach additional copies of the form. The $19 fee covers the entire report no matter how many firearms are listed.

Section C: Declaration

Sign and date the declaration. Furnishing a false name or address, or knowingly providing incorrect information or omitting required information, is punishable as a misdemeanor.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 27875

How to Submit

By Mail

Send the completed form, a photocopy of your California ID, any additional required documentation, and a check or money order for $19 payable to the Department of Justice to:2California Department of Justice. Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction

Department of Justice
Bureau of Firearms – OL & IF
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203-0200

Cash is not accepted. Keep a copy of everything you send. If the envelope goes missing, you will have to reconstruct and refile, and the 30-day window does not pause for postal delays.

Online Through CFARS

The California Firearms Application Reporting System accepts both intra-familial and operation of law reports electronically. You create an account, enter your personal and firearm information, and pay the $19 fee by credit or debit card.5California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearms Reporting and Law Enforcement Release Application CFARS stores your personal information for future filings and issues a confirmation number when you submit. Save that number as proof of timely filing.

What Happens After You File

The DOJ runs a firearms eligibility check against state and federal databases. Disqualifying factors include felony convictions, certain misdemeanor convictions, active restraining orders, narcotic addiction, and outstanding warrants for specific offenses.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 29800 Recipients must be at least 18, hold a valid FSC, and not be prohibited from possessing firearms. The firearm cannot be an assault weapon as defined in Penal Code Sections 30210 through 30530.

If the check clears, the DOJ records the firearm in its Automated Firearms System and sends a confirmation. Processing can take several weeks or longer.

If the report is incomplete or missing documents, the DOJ returns it unprocessed. That is where the timing gets tight: you may have already used part of your 30-day window waiting on the rejection notice, and you still have to correct and resubmit inside the deadline. CFARS reduces the risk by flagging blank mandatory fields before you can submit.

Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection

  • Forgetting the ID photocopy. The form can be flawless, but the package comes back without it.
  • Leaving the FSC number blank. Plenty of people assume family transfers are exempt from the FSC requirement. They aren’t.
  • Sending cash instead of a check or money order.
  • An ID marked “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” submitted without proof of lawful U.S. presence.
  • An incomplete firearm description. A missing serial number, barrel length, or caliber leaves the DOJ nothing to record. Measure and copy every detail directly from the firearm before you start writing.

Short Family Loans Are Different

A temporary loan of a firearm between immediate family members does not require BOF 4544A. Under Penal Code Section 27880, a loan to a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild is exempt from the dealer requirement as long as it is infrequent, for a lawful purpose, and does not exceed 30 days.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27880 The borrower still needs a valid FSC, and a loaned handgun must already be registered to the lender. Anything past 30 days or involving a permanent change of ownership means either a 4544A filing or a dealer transaction.

Inheritances From Out of State

If the immediate family member who left you the firearm lived in another state, you can bring the firearm into California without a dealer under Penal Code Section 27875(b). You need a valid FSC, you must be 18 or older, the inheritance must be infrequent, and you file BOF 4544A within 30 days of the firearm entering California, following the same process above.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 27875

Keep documentation of how you acquired the firearm — a copy of the will, probate order, or a letter from the estate executor. The form does not ask you to attach it, but having it available protects you if the transfer is later questioned.