Gun Registration for New California Residents: Filing and Penalties

If you’ve moved to California with firearms, state law gives you 60 days to deal with each one. California new resident gun registration runs through the Department of Justice: you file a New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership for every firearm you brought in, or you sell it through a licensed dealer, transfer it to a dealer, or surrender it to law enforcement. Pick one of those four paths for each gun within 60 days of establishing residency.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27560

Registration is the usual route. The other three matter when something in your collection can’t be lawfully kept in California at all. Assault weapons, machine guns, and .50 BMG rifles cannot be registered through the new resident process, so if you own one, selling it, transferring it to a dealer, or surrendering it is the only lawful path.2California Department of Justice. Firearms Information for New California Residents

When the 60-Day Clock Starts

The deadline runs from the day you bring a firearm into California with the intent to stay. California ties residency to the same standard used for vehicle registration: renting or buying a home, getting a California driver’s license, registering to vote, or enrolling children in school are the kinds of steps that establish it.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 17000 Military members follow a separate rule and are considered to establish residency when discharged from active service in the state.

Passing through or visiting briefly doesn’t trigger the requirement. Once your intentions shift toward staying, the 60 days begin. Intent is subjective, so filing early is safer than trying to time it.

Firearms You Cannot Bring Into California

Some firearms that are legal in most other states are prohibited here, and bringing one in can result in felony charges regardless of its status where you moved from. Check your collection before the truck is loaded.

Federal ATF registration doesn’t override state law. If you own NFA items that California prohibits, sell them, store them out of state, or otherwise dispose of them before the move.

One point cuts the other way. California’s Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale restricts what dealers can sell to consumers, but it doesn’t limit personal importation by a new resident. You can legally bring an off-roster handgun into California through the new resident report, as long as it isn’t otherwise prohibited.

How the Assault Weapon Definition Works

California’s assault weapon rule is feature-based, and firearms that look ordinary can qualify. A firearm doesn’t need to be on a named list.

For a semiautomatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine, any one of these features makes it an assault weapon: 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. A semiautomatic centerfire rifle with a fixed magazine over 10 rounds also qualifies, as does one with an overall length under 30 inches.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30515 Similar feature-based tests apply to semiautomatic pistols and shotguns; the statute is the place to check a specific firearm.

If something in your collection matches, you can’t register it as a new resident. The choices are to modify the firearm to remove the prohibited features before it enters California, sell it before you move, or leave it with someone outside the state.

Getting Your Firearms Into the State Legally

Transport rules apply the moment you cross into California. All firearms must be unloaded. Handguns must go in a locked container in the trunk, or, if the vehicle has no trunk, in a locked container somewhere other than the glove box or utility compartment. A locked container means a fully enclosed case secured with a padlock, key lock, or combination lock. Long guns must also be unloaded but generally don’t need to be in a locked container unless they qualify as assault weapons. Keep ammunition separate.

Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle on a public street is a criminal offense under Penal Code 25850, and California peace officers can inspect a firearm to check whether it’s loaded.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850

Home-Built and Unserialized Firearms

If you’re bringing in a firearm without a manufacturer-applied serial number, there’s a second obligation running alongside the report. Under Penal Code 29180, a new resident must apply to the DOJ for a unique serial number within 60 days of arrival. Once the DOJ issues the number, you have 10 days to engrave or permanently affix it to the firearm and notify the department.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 29180

Filing the Report

The form is the New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership, BOF 4010A. It asks for your full name, date of birth, California residential address, and California driver’s license or ID number.10California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership

If your California ID or driver’s license has “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” printed on the front, you also need to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States. Acceptable documents include a valid U.S. passport or passport card, or a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate issued by a city, county, or state vital statistics office.10California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership

For each firearm, list the make, model, serial number, caliber, barrel length, and country of origin. The whole report costs a flat $19 processing fee no matter how many firearms you include.10California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership

You can file online through the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS). Create an account at the CFARS portal, complete the report electronically, and pay the fee online.11California Department of Justice. Firearms Reporting and Law Enforcement Release Application To file by mail, print and complete the BOF 4010A, include a check or money order for $19 payable to the Department of Justice, and mail everything to the Bureau of Firearms at P.O. Box 820200, Sacramento, CA 94203-0200.10California Department of Justice. New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership Online submissions are generally faster.

The DOJ runs a firearms eligibility background check after receiving the report. Pass, and you get a confirmation notice. Fail, and the firearms won’t be registered.

Penalties for Missing the Deadline

Failing to file is a criminal offense. Under Penal Code 27590, a basic violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.12California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 27590

If the unreported firearm is a handgun or a semiautomatic centerfire rifle, the maximum jail time rises to one year in county jail, with the same $1,000 fine ceiling. In certain circumstances the violation can be charged as a wobbler, meaning prosecutors can pursue it as a felony depending on the facts.

Law enforcement can also seize any firearm that wasn’t reported. Miss the deadline and you risk both a criminal record and permanent loss of the firearms, on a filing that costs $19 and takes minutes online.