California

FOPA protects direct travel through CA. However, CA law enforcement may arrest for 'assault weapons' if travel is not strictly continuous. Keep locked and unloaded.

Open carry of both loaded and unloaded firearms is generally prohibited in incorporated cities and prohibited areas of unincorporated territory.

Must be unloaded, in a locked hard-sided container, and declared at check-in. CA specific: Ensure destination possession is legal (e.g., don't bring 'assault weapon' into CA).

Technically 'Shall Issue' post-Bruen, meaning good cause is no longer required, but 'Good Moral Character' is still evaluated.

Issued by County Sheriff or City Police. Requires 16-hour training, background check, and interview. SB 2 added strict 'good moral character' assessments.

Strictly prohibited on all university and college campuses without written permission from the college president (rarely granted).

Federal GFSZA applies (1000ft buffer). CA CCW exempts holder from CA GFSZ law and Federal GFSZ law (if license is from the state where school is located).

Illegal to have a loaded firearm in a vehicle without a CCW. 'Loaded' includes unexpended round in chamber or attached magazine.

Allowed in National Parks (e.g., Yosemite) if you have a CA CCW. Buildings (Visitor Centers) are federal facilities and prohibited.

SB 2 created a massive list of sensitive places (26 categories). Some (like banks, places of worship, private property open to public) are enjoined, but many remain (schools, gov buildings, parks).

Handguns must be unloaded and in a locked container (trunk counts, glove box does NOT). Long guns must be unloaded (locked container not required but recommended).

Generally banned (PC 33215). Exceptions exist for C&R holders with DOJ Dangerous Weapons Permit, but extremely difficult to obtain for general public.

Legal to build but must apply to DOJ for a serial number *before* manufacturing and engrave it on the receiver.

Possession of a silencer/suppressor is a felony in California, regardless of NFA compliance.

Must engrave DOJ-issued serial number on stainless steel plate embedded in polymer (if applicable) within 10 days of manufacture.

Statutorily required for new handguns to be added to the roster, but currently enjoined by *Boland v. Bonta*.

Flash suppressors are prohibited on semi-auto centerfire rifles with detachable magazines. Muzzle brakes and compensators are legal.

Banned by feature. Rifles with detachable magazines cannot have 'evil features' (pistol grip, flash hider, telescoping stock). Compliance requires 'featureless' builds or 'fixed magazine' devices.

Generally limited to 10 rounds. Possession of 'Freedom Week' (acquired April 2019) or pre-2000 magazines is currently legal, but import/sale is banned.

1. Featureless: Remove prohibited features (use fin grip, fixed stock, muzzle brake). 2. Mag-lock: Fix the magazine so the action must be opened to remove it.

DROS (Dealer Record of Sale) acts as de facto registration for all firearms purchased after 2014 (long guns) or 1990s (handguns).

No universal mandatory storage law, but criminal liability attaches if a child or prohibited person accesses a firearm due to negligent storage.

Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVRO) allow family, police, employers, and teachers to petition for temporary removal of firearms.

New residents must register all firearms within 60 days of arrival using the New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership (BOF 4010A).

Must report theft or loss to local law enforcement within 5 days of discovery.

Must be processed by a CA FFL. Both parties must appear in person.

Allowed for infrequent loans between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling) if the loan is for a lawful purpose and duration is reasonable.

No state mandate, though some cities (e.g., San Jose) have attempted local ordinances.

Criminal liability if a child (<18) accesses a firearm and causes injury or carries it to a public place.

Despite state legalization, marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law. Users are prohibited from possessing firearms.

Illegal aliens are prohibited. Legal permanent residents (green card holders) may purchase. Non-immigrant aliens (visa holders) generally need a valid hunting license to purchase.

All private party transfers (PPT) must be conducted through a licensed firearms dealer (FFL), who retains the firearm for the 10-day waiting period.

Buying a firearm for another person while claiming it is for oneself is a federal felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Federal law prohibits possession for life for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. California law additionally imposes a 10-year prohibition for misdemeanor battery and other violent misdemeanors, regardless of the relationship to the victim.

California is a Point of Contact (POC) state. Dealers submit the Dealer's Record of Sale (DROS) to the CA DOJ, which conducts the background check.

California prohibits firearm possession for 10 years following conviction of numerous specific misdemeanors, including assault, battery, brandishing a weapon, and making criminal threats.

Felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, those adjudicated as mental defectives, illegal aliens, dishonorably discharged veterans, and those subject to certain restraining orders.

Generally 21 for all firearms. Exceptions exist for valid hunting license holders (18+ for rifles/shotguns) and law enforcement/military.

California mandates a 10-day waiting period (calculated as ten 24-hour periods) for all firearm purchases.

Dealers may only sell new handguns listed on the Roster of Certified Handguns. Private Party Transfers (PPT) are exempt from the roster.

A Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) is required to purchase any firearm. It involves a written test and is valid for 5 years.

Online purchases are legal but must be shipped to a California FFL for the background check, DROS, and waiting period.

California restricts purchases to one firearm (handgun or long gun) per 30-day period. Exceptions exist for PPTs.

All ammunition transactions must occur through a licensed vendor. Direct shipment to home is prohibited unless the buyer has a specific exemption (e.g., FFL03 + COE).

Residents cannot purchase firearms outside California and bring them back directly. They must be shipped to a CA FFL. Handguns must be on the Roster if shipped.

A background check is required for every ammunition purchase. Standard check ($1) verifies the buyer has a firearm record in AFS; otherwise, a full check ($19) is required.

California has a castle doctrine law, codified in Penal Code § 198.5, which creates a rebuttable presumption of reasonable fear for occupants using deadly force against an unlawful and forcible intruder in their residence.

California does not impose a general duty to retreat before using deadly force if the person is not the initial aggressor and is in a place where they have a right to be, a principle established by case law and reflected in jury instructions.

California does not have a specific statutory 'Stand Your Ground' law, but case law and jury instructions establish that a person has no duty to retreat before using necessary force in self-defense, even in public, if they are not the initial aggressor and are in a place they have a right to be.