California has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States. The state requires a safety certificate before purchase, a 10-day waiting period, universal background checks, and point-of-sale checks on ammunition. It bans a long list of assault weapons, magazines over 10 rounds, and unserialized “ghost guns,” and it limits new handgun sales to models on an approved roster. Carrying in public requires a concealed carry license, and open carry is effectively prohibited. Penalties run from $100 infractions to eight-year prison terms, and they stack per weapon.
Buying a Firearm
Every buyer needs a valid Firearm Safety Certificate before taking possession of a gun. You earn it by passing a written test on firearm safety and California law, 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 It applies to both handguns and long guns, with a narrow exemption for antique firearms.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 31615
Every purchase from a licensed dealer triggers a mandatory 10-day waiting period, during which the California Department of Justice runs a background check. Universal background checks mean private sales cannot bypass this: the seller hands the gun to a licensed dealer, who runs the check and holds the firearm for the waiting period before releasing it to the buyer. A few groups can skip the wait if their background check clears early, including active CCW licensees, holders of a Certificate of Eligibility, and people with a firearm already registered in the state’s database.
Age Limits
Licensed dealers cannot sell any firearm to anyone under 21. The exemptions for 18-to-20-year-olds cover only non-handgun purchases, and only if you hold a valid hunting license, are an active peace officer, serve 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 Outside those categories, an 18-to-20-year-old cannot buy any firearm from a licensed dealer in California.
What You Can and Can’t Own
Assault Weapons
California’s Assault Weapons Ban prohibits the sale and possession of firearms falling into three categories. The first names specific makes and models, including all AK-series rifles, the Colt AR-15 series, and the UZI, along with dozens of other rifles, pistols, and shotguns, plus any minor variation of a listed model.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30510 The second is features-based: a semi-automatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine becomes an assault weapon if it also has a protruding pistol grip, thumbhole stock, folding or telescoping stock, flash suppressor, forward pistol grip, or grenade or flare launcher.5California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30515 Similar 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 can’t simply be kept; the heir generally must render it inoperable, sell it to a specially permitted dealer, obtain a DOJ permit, or remove it from the state within 180 days.6State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions
The Handgun Roster
Licensed dealers can generally sell only handguns that appear on California’s roster of models certified as safe. Roughly 930 handgun models are listed as of 2026.7State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Handguns Certified for Sale A new semi-automatic pistol must pass firing and drop-safety tests and include a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect mechanism. It must also microstamp a unique code identifying the gun’s make, model, and serial number onto each spent cartridge case. Manufacturers have largely declined to implement microstamping, and AB 2847 requires DOJ to remove three older semi-automatic pistols from the roster for every new one added, so the list is shrinking rather than growing.
Ghost Guns
Under AB 1621, it is generally illegal to sell, transfer, purchase, or possess a completed frame or receiver, or an unfinished firearm precursor part, that lacks 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 Limited exceptions exist, such as a new resident bringing an unserialized firearm into the state, but the owner must apply to DOJ for a unique serial number, engrave it on the frame or receiver within 10 days, and report the details to DOJ. Polymer firearms carry an added requirement: 3.7 ounces of stainless steel embedded in the frame.
Magazines and Ammunition
California bans any ammunition magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds. The Ninth Circuit upheld the ban in March 2025 in Duncan v. Bonta, and it is enforceable as of 2026.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 32310 Tube-style magazines in lever-action rifles and .22 caliber tube feeding devices are excluded. Possession can be charged as an infraction with a fine up to $100 per magazine or as a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail. Selling, manufacturing, or importing one is a wobbler that can bring up to three years in state prison.
Ammunition purchases go through a licensed vendor with a point-of-sale background check. If you already have a firearm registered in the state’s Automated Firearms System, the standard check costs $5. If you don’t, a more thorough eligibility check runs $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 ship ammunition directly to your home, and you cannot legally bring ammunition bought out of state back into California on your own. Online orders must be delivered to a licensed vendor for pickup and processed there.
Carrying a Firearm in Public
Public carry requires a concealed carry weapon (CCW) license, applied for through your county sheriff or local police chief. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen struck down California’s old “good cause” requirement, but the other qualifications remain in force.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 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 state and federal criminal records review.
- 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 mandatory training course is a separate cost.
Sensitive Places
Senate Bill 2, effective January 1, 2024, designated 26 categories of “sensitive places” where even licensed CCW holders cannot carry. After a Ninth Circuit ruling, 20 of the 26 categories are currently enforceable. They include school zones, preschools, government buildings, courthouses, colleges and universities, airports, polling places, parks, playgrounds, public libraries, stadiums, bars and restaurants that serve 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 remaining six are enjoined pending litigation.
Open Carry
Open carry is effectively banned. California prohibits openly carrying an unloaded handgun in any incorporated city or in prohibited areas of unincorporated counties, whether on your person or in a vehicle.15California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350 Separate provisions cover loaded firearms. Practically, unless you hold a CCW license and are somewhere not designated as sensitive, there is almost no lawful way to carry a firearm in a California public space.
Ongoing Duties of Ownership
Safe Storage
A handgun left in an unattended vehicle must be locked in the trunk, in a locked container 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 qualify as a locked container. Violation is an infraction with a fine up to $1,000.16California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25140
Inside a home, criminal storage applies when a loaded firearm is kept where a child or prohibited person could reasonably access it. California grades the offense 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 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. Wobbler: misdemeanor (up to one year, $1,000 fine) or felony (up to three years in prison, $10,000 fine).
Reporting Lost or Stolen Guns
A lost or stolen firearm must be reported to local law enforcement within five days of when you knew or should have known it was missing. Recovery must also be reported within five days. Antique firearms are exempt.17California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25250 A first failure to report is an infraction with a fine up to $100. A second violation carries a fine up to $1,000. A third or later violation becomes a misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Gun Violence Restraining Orders
California’s red flag law lets courts issue Gun Violence Restraining Orders that temporarily bar someone from possessing firearms and ammunition. Petitions can come from law enforcement, immediate family, spouses, domestic partners, dating partners, employers, roommates, coworkers, or teachers with substantial and regular contact.18California Department of Justice. Model Gun Violence Restraining Order Policy for California Law Enforcement A temporary order lasts up to 21 days, and a court can extend it after a hearing 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 The subject must surrender all firearms and ammunition. If an officer serves the order and requests surrender, it must happen immediately; otherwise, the person has 24 hours to turn firearms over to law enforcement or a licensed dealer, and must file a receipt with the issuing court and serving agency within 48 hours.20California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 18120.5
Penalties for Common Violations
- Possessing an assault weapon: wobbler. As a felony, 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail; as a misdemeanor, up to one year. First-time offenders who lawfully possessed the weapon before its reclassification and surrender it for destruction may qualify for an infraction.21California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30605
- Selling or manufacturing an assault weapon or.50 BMG rifle: straight felony, 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: usually a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Felony (16 months to three years) if the gun was stolen or the person 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: misdemeanor. If the person also has accessible ammunition and isn’t the gun’s lawful possessor, the penalty rises 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 counts, each with its own potential sentence and fine, and that stacking is where the enforcement weight lands.