Highlights
- California does not require guns you already own to be registered.
- There is no retroactive registration.
- If you move into California, you have 60 days to register your guns.
- Guns in California are registered when they are sold or transferred through a dealer.
- There are no registration card or proof of ownership/registration issued.
- There is no federal gun registration.
- You do not need to inform DOJ that you moved out-of-state and DOJ will not un-register your guns when you leave California.
How California Gun Registration Works
All firearm purchases/transfers (except for very limited exceptions) must be done through a licensed dealer who records the sale/transfer and performs a background check. California obtains information on firearm purchases/transfers in the following ways:
All sales/transfers are kept on the Dealers’ Record of Sale (DROS), which is what is used as the actual record and transmitted to the Dept. of Justice. The Attorney General keeps on file all firearms and is required to "maintain a registry thereof" 11106 PC. Thus California has firearm registration. The registry consists of the following:
Of course, since the state (and feds, by extension) has access to the original paperwork, they have a full registry of every gun legally sold or transferred through a dealer since 2014 and handguns since 1991.
Long guns
AB 809, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011, required all long-guns (rifles and shotguns) to be registered in the same manner as handgun owners when purchased, beginning January 1, 2014. Long-guns owned prior to 2014 by a California resident do not have to be registered.
Does the state know about my old guns?
If you bought a handgun before 1998 or a long gun before 2014, they may not have a record of it. Handguns bought after 1990 may be registered. For firearms bought a very long time ago or outside of the mentioned time frames, there is a good chance they are “unregistered” and unknown to the state.
Briefly, a digital federal firearms registry is illegal. The ATF Form 4473s are kept essentially forever, so if the ATF searches through them by hand, they can identify gun owners. In the Cold War film Red Dawn, Cuban and Soviet troops did just this to round up gun owners. This is why private sales were so popular; if a gun changes hands anonymously, the owner can’t be identified.
This is why California is so hot about banning private sales; if all sales/transfers go through a dealer, they can be registered by simply digitally logging the particulars of the gun and the owner’s information at the point of sale. No separate registration form needs to be filled out, which would be blatant gun registration and enrage a lot of people. DROS is an insidious way to register guns.
Your unregistered guns are unknown to the state, especially if they were purchased decades ago. Family firearms that pre-date 1968 are as good as non-existent.
Do I have to register my old guns?
Not at this time. You may report your guns, but why voluntarily register your guns? Registration will eventually lead to confiscation in California in time. At some point in the future, expect California to require all owned firearms, if they are not registered, to be retroactively registered in order to remain legal. That kind of thing has occurred in many totalitarian regimes as a pretext for confiscation. At that time, you will have personal choice to make.
Should I register my guns?
What does it gain you? Registering one firearm via a voluntary registration form might be a good idea if you care about gaining an AFS record to qualify for the standard eligibility check to buy ammo, but at that point, why not buy a new gun? You may receive a lesser sentence if you are illegally carrying a handgun registered to you.
Will I get arrested for having an unregistered gun?
No, unless you are doing something criminal, like carrying it illegally. Those old guns that have been in the safe for decades don’t need to be retroactively registered. If you have a gun you built yourself (80%; “ghost gun”), you legally bring it into the state, or some other contingency, you may be required to register it.
If you carry an concealed unregistered firearm illegally, you may get a sentence enhancement to the basic carrying a concealed weapon violation (25400(c)(6)(B)). This would not apply if you are innocently transporting a gun, for legitimate purposes (see carry exemptions), that was never required to be registered. That section is meant for criminals carrying stolen/black market guns.
How do I know if my guns are registered?
Fill out the Automated Firearms System (AFS) Request for Firearm Records (BOF 053) form and you will receive a list by mail with what firearms the state has registered to you. The cost is free.
My relative gave me this gun; how do I register it in my name?
See the Buying Guns section and see the Intra-Familial Firearm Transfer.
Do visitors to California have to register their guns?
No. Only if you move to California do you become a “personal firearms importer” who is regulated under law.
Voluntary Registration
We don’t know why you would want to register a firearm, as there is no obligation to, but you can if you want to. The only possible benefit is gaining an AFS record to make buying ammo cheaper, but why not buy a new gun instead?
Registering a firearm will cost you $19. You can report electronically though the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS) at https://cfars.doj.ca.gov. If you prefer mail, you can download the form (BOF 4542A) here.
Again, is voluntary. No law currently requires existing Californians to register guns that aren’t already registered.
- Dealers are required to keep a register of firearm transactions. 28100 (28215 details the process of how the transaction paperwork is retained and reported to the state.)
- Private-party sales are prohibited by 28050 and must go through a dealer, who is then required to record and report the transaction.
- Anyone who moved into California on or after January 1, 1998 is required to register any firearm they personally bring into the state; applies to new residents, not visitors. (17000 PC and 27560 ) New residents must register their handguns within 60 days of bringing them into California at their expense (cost $19). This previously only applied to handguns.
All sales/transfers are kept on the Dealers’ Record of Sale (DROS), which is what is used as the actual record and transmitted to the Dept. of Justice. The Attorney General keeps on file all firearms and is required to "maintain a registry thereof" 11106 PC. Thus California has firearm registration. The registry consists of the following:
- The description and personal identifying information of the buyer.
- The information about the seller/transferor.
- The identifying information (make, model, serial number) of the firearm.
Of course, since the state (and feds, by extension) has access to the original paperwork, they have a full registry of every gun legally sold or transferred through a dealer since 2014 and handguns since 1991.
Long guns
AB 809, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011, required all long-guns (rifles and shotguns) to be registered in the same manner as handgun owners when purchased, beginning January 1, 2014. Long-guns owned prior to 2014 by a California resident do not have to be registered.
Does the state know about my old guns?
If you bought a handgun before 1998 or a long gun before 2014, they may not have a record of it. Handguns bought after 1990 may be registered. For firearms bought a very long time ago or outside of the mentioned time frames, there is a good chance they are “unregistered” and unknown to the state.
Briefly, a digital federal firearms registry is illegal. The ATF Form 4473s are kept essentially forever, so if the ATF searches through them by hand, they can identify gun owners. In the Cold War film Red Dawn, Cuban and Soviet troops did just this to round up gun owners. This is why private sales were so popular; if a gun changes hands anonymously, the owner can’t be identified.
This is why California is so hot about banning private sales; if all sales/transfers go through a dealer, they can be registered by simply digitally logging the particulars of the gun and the owner’s information at the point of sale. No separate registration form needs to be filled out, which would be blatant gun registration and enrage a lot of people. DROS is an insidious way to register guns.
Your unregistered guns are unknown to the state, especially if they were purchased decades ago. Family firearms that pre-date 1968 are as good as non-existent.
Do I have to register my old guns?
Not at this time. You may report your guns, but why voluntarily register your guns? Registration will eventually lead to confiscation in California in time. At some point in the future, expect California to require all owned firearms, if they are not registered, to be retroactively registered in order to remain legal. That kind of thing has occurred in many totalitarian regimes as a pretext for confiscation. At that time, you will have personal choice to make.
Should I register my guns?
What does it gain you? Registering one firearm via a voluntary registration form might be a good idea if you care about gaining an AFS record to qualify for the standard eligibility check to buy ammo, but at that point, why not buy a new gun? You may receive a lesser sentence if you are illegally carrying a handgun registered to you.
Will I get arrested for having an unregistered gun?
No, unless you are doing something criminal, like carrying it illegally. Those old guns that have been in the safe for decades don’t need to be retroactively registered. If you have a gun you built yourself (80%; “ghost gun”), you legally bring it into the state, or some other contingency, you may be required to register it.
If you carry an concealed unregistered firearm illegally, you may get a sentence enhancement to the basic carrying a concealed weapon violation (25400(c)(6)(B)). This would not apply if you are innocently transporting a gun, for legitimate purposes (see carry exemptions), that was never required to be registered. That section is meant for criminals carrying stolen/black market guns.
How do I know if my guns are registered?
Fill out the Automated Firearms System (AFS) Request for Firearm Records (BOF 053) form and you will receive a list by mail with what firearms the state has registered to you. The cost is free.
My relative gave me this gun; how do I register it in my name?
See the Buying Guns section and see the Intra-Familial Firearm Transfer.
Do visitors to California have to register their guns?
No. Only if you move to California do you become a “personal firearms importer” who is regulated under law.
Voluntary Registration
We don’t know why you would want to register a firearm, as there is no obligation to, but you can if you want to. The only possible benefit is gaining an AFS record to make buying ammo cheaper, but why not buy a new gun instead?
Registering a firearm will cost you $19. You can report electronically though the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS) at https://cfars.doj.ca.gov. If you prefer mail, you can download the form (BOF 4542A) here.
Again, is voluntary. No law currently requires existing Californians to register guns that aren’t already registered.
Moving to California with Guns
Per 17000, you become a “personal firearm importer” when you move to California with firearms. Not visit, but become a resident of California.
This does not apply if you bought the handgun beginning 1998 in California or the long gun beginning 2014, as there will be a record of that sale still. This doesn’t mean if you bought one, all will be registered; whatever you bought in California during those timeframes will be registered. Anything you bought out of state must be registered when you bring it back.
If you bought a handgun pre-1998 or a long gun pre-2014 in California, those firearms would have to be registered if you bring them back into the state because there is no registration record of them.
You cannot import “assault weapons,” .50 BMG rifles, or National Firearms Act (NFA) items into California. There is no way to legally possess a California-illegal weapon if you move to California. Some semi-automatics can be modified
When you take up residency in California
Within 60 days of moving back to California with firearms, and you intend to keep it, you must report to the DOJ "information concerning [yourself] and a description of the firearm in question," (27560).
Per the DOJ, specifically you must complete and submit a New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership (BOF 4010A) form, along with $19, payable to to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms. You must include a copy of your California driver license or identification card. If it states “federal limits apply,” see the section in Buying Guns regarding alternative forms of identification.
For each firearm you report, you must give: the serial number, make, model, caliber, country of origin (where it was made), and the barrel length. This is gun registration; of course you have to report this information. If you don’t like it, don’t register your gun.
Per 17000, you become a “personal firearm importer” when you move to California with firearms. Not visit, but become a resident of California.
This does not apply if you bought the handgun beginning 1998 in California or the long gun beginning 2014, as there will be a record of that sale still. This doesn’t mean if you bought one, all will be registered; whatever you bought in California during those timeframes will be registered. Anything you bought out of state must be registered when you bring it back.
If you bought a handgun pre-1998 or a long gun pre-2014 in California, those firearms would have to be registered if you bring them back into the state because there is no registration record of them.
You cannot import “assault weapons,” .50 BMG rifles, or National Firearms Act (NFA) items into California. There is no way to legally possess a California-illegal weapon if you move to California. Some semi-automatics can be modified
When you take up residency in California
Within 60 days of moving back to California with firearms, and you intend to keep it, you must report to the DOJ "information concerning [yourself] and a description of the firearm in question," (27560).
Per the DOJ, specifically you must complete and submit a New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership (BOF 4010A) form, along with $19, payable to to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms. You must include a copy of your California driver license or identification card. If it states “federal limits apply,” see the section in Buying Guns regarding alternative forms of identification.
For each firearm you report, you must give: the serial number, make, model, caliber, country of origin (where it was made), and the barrel length. This is gun registration; of course you have to report this information. If you don’t like it, don’t register your gun.
When I do I become a resident of California?
Residency is typically established by an intention to make California one's legal residence. Residency is generally established by:
An active duty service member assigned to a California military base on orders does not automatically become a legal resident of California. They maintain their legal residence in the state they originally declared as their home of record unless they take steps to change it. A service member who gets a California driver license would generally be considered a resident. If the service member completes their term of service and decides to remain in California they would generally be considered a resident if they take the above steps. Timelines can be nebulous. California requires new residents to obtain a California driver's license within 10 days of establishing residency, for example.
Residency is typically established by an intention to make California one's legal residence. Residency is generally established by:
- Registering to vote in California.
- Obtaining a California driver's license.
- Registering their vehicle in California.
- Taking other steps that demonstrate an intent to make California their permanent home, such as securing permanent housing or employment.
An active duty service member assigned to a California military base on orders does not automatically become a legal resident of California. They maintain their legal residence in the state they originally declared as their home of record unless they take steps to change it. A service member who gets a California driver license would generally be considered a resident. If the service member completes their term of service and decides to remain in California they would generally be considered a resident if they take the above steps. Timelines can be nebulous. California requires new residents to obtain a California driver's license within 10 days of establishing residency, for example.
Should I register my guns?
Of course because it’s the law [heavy sarcasm]. The editor cannot in good conscience recommend registering all your weapons because at some point California will confiscate them. Should a retroactive registration requirement be passed into law, a personal decision must be made at that time. However, one must carefully consider this fact as California is going down the path of many totalitarian regimes and it is easily within imagination that a full registration scheme will be part and parcel of gun confiscation and official repression.
It would be a prudent idea to register any firearms you plan to use as self-defense weapons (i.e. your home defense shotgun, a pistol), anything you want to list on a license to carry (actually mandatory), and any weapons you might use frequently at the range. Registering one firearm via a voluntary registration form might be a good idea if you care about gaining an AFS record to qualify for the standard eligibility check to buy ammo.
I moved out of California; can I un-register my guns?
No. Only in limited cases does California require you to report your guns were removed from the state, which don’t apply here. California will not “un-register” your guns. The records are permanent, but will not be reported to the ATF or your new state.
Also, when you move, do not continue to vote for California-like policies or Democrats. Though we hate to say it, the only way to preserve our rights is voting for Republicans because the Democratic party has abandoned all pretenses of supporting our traditional American freedoms. If you continue to act and vote like you are in California, you only have yourself to blame when the rest of the country embodies everything about California that you hate.
Of course because it’s the law [heavy sarcasm]. The editor cannot in good conscience recommend registering all your weapons because at some point California will confiscate them. Should a retroactive registration requirement be passed into law, a personal decision must be made at that time. However, one must carefully consider this fact as California is going down the path of many totalitarian regimes and it is easily within imagination that a full registration scheme will be part and parcel of gun confiscation and official repression.
It would be a prudent idea to register any firearms you plan to use as self-defense weapons (i.e. your home defense shotgun, a pistol), anything you want to list on a license to carry (actually mandatory), and any weapons you might use frequently at the range. Registering one firearm via a voluntary registration form might be a good idea if you care about gaining an AFS record to qualify for the standard eligibility check to buy ammo.
I moved out of California; can I un-register my guns?
No. Only in limited cases does California require you to report your guns were removed from the state, which don’t apply here. California will not “un-register” your guns. The records are permanent, but will not be reported to the ATF or your new state.
Also, when you move, do not continue to vote for California-like policies or Democrats. Though we hate to say it, the only way to preserve our rights is voting for Republicans because the Democratic party has abandoned all pretenses of supporting our traditional American freedoms. If you continue to act and vote like you are in California, you only have yourself to blame when the rest of the country embodies everything about California that you hate.
Automated Firearms System (AFS) Personal Information Update Automated Firearms System (AFS), according to DOJ, "is a repository of firearm records maintained by the Department [that is] is populated by way of firearm purchases or transfers at a California licensed firearm dealer, registration of assault weapons (during specified registration periods), an individual’s report of firearm ownership to the Department, Carry Concealed Weapons Permit records, or records entered by law enforcement agencies."
You have the ability to update your personal information within this system via a website. This is helpful because it ensures you can use the faster standard eligibility check when buying ammunition. If your information is not correct, you will have to use the longer basic check that involves a human doing actual research.
If you do not have a firearm record, this does not apply to you. To update AFS, you need to access California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS). First, you'll need to create an account by visiting https://cfars.doj.ca.gov. The process and updates are free.
What information is needed to update my info in AFS?
Per DOJ:
What if I don’t know my exact personal information or firearms information when I bought my gun?
You must request a listing of your registered firearms. Once you have this list, you can use it to update AFS. Do not submit a new Firearm Ownership Report.
You have the ability to update your personal information within this system via a website. This is helpful because it ensures you can use the faster standard eligibility check when buying ammunition. If your information is not correct, you will have to use the longer basic check that involves a human doing actual research.
If you do not have a firearm record, this does not apply to you. To update AFS, you need to access California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS). First, you'll need to create an account by visiting https://cfars.doj.ca.gov. The process and updates are free.
What information is needed to update my info in AFS?
Per DOJ:
- Your current personal information;
- Your exact personal information as it was recorded on your Dealer Record of Sale;
- The particulars a firearm currently recorded in your name;
- Verifying documentation, such as your California driver license/ID card, or for name changes:
- A marriage license
- Endorsed court order regarding restoration of former name
- Endorsed court order regarding name change
What if I don’t know my exact personal information or firearms information when I bought my gun?
You must request a listing of your registered firearms. Once you have this list, you can use it to update AFS. Do not submit a new Firearm Ownership Report.
Note that registration information and DROS records may have been released in a leak from the DOJ's office on June 27-28, 2022.