Do You Have To Register Guns In California

June 5, 2021 update: On June four, 2021, a federal estimate overturned California'due south ban on set on weapons on the grounds that information technology violates the constitutional right to bear arms under the Second Subpoena. Only assault weapons remain illegal in California while the state appeals the ruling.

You can register an unregistered gun in California by completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Written report (FOR) Application. This voluntarily declares that you are the possessor of the firearm. However, this class cannot exist used to register an assault weapon.

A FOR Application is not required for well-nigh firearms. They will accept been registered by the dealer during the sale. However, there are reasons to annals a firearm on your ain. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may be returned to the person listed on the form. If the gun is unregistered, it volition not exist returned.

Submitting a FOR Application could likewise lead to legal trouble. You could exist accused of possession of an assault weapon. The person who sold or gave you the weapon could also be charged with illegally transferring a firearm. The form can exist used as bear witness.

man holding revolver

You can register an unregistered gun in California by filling out and submitting a Firearm Ownership Written report (FOR) Application.

What is the Firearm Buying Report Awarding?

The Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Awarding is a legal class. It goes to the California Section of Justice (DOJ). The form is as well known equally the BOF 4542A. By filling out and submitting the grade, you voluntarily annals a firearm. Y'all are alleged its legal possessor.

To fill out the form, you need to provide information about yourself, including:

your personal and contact information,
where you were built-in,
citizenship status and identification information, including a copy of your driver's license or ID carte du jour,
Handgun Condom Certificate number, and
any aliases you are known by.

You volition also have to provide information about the firearm you are declaring:

whether it is a handgun or a long gun, and what type it is,
serial number,
make and model,
caliber,
origin,
barrel length,
colour, and
when and how you acquired it.

There is infinite for declaring ownership of 3 firearms on each application form. If you lot desire to declare ownership of more than 3, yous can attach additional copies of the form.

You volition have to pay a $19 processing fee for each FOR Application.

The form can be mailed to:

Section of Justice
Bureau of Firearms – FOR
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

This form cannot be used to register an attack weapon. Assault weapons generally cannot be registered in California anymore.

Do I have to file this application?

No, there is no legal requirement that a firearm has to be registered unless:

the firearm is an assault weapon, or
you are moving into California and own a firearm.

Handguns that were legally bought in California are already registered. They were registered past the dealer. You are the registered owner of these firearms. Your data was collected during the background cheque.

Long guns that were legally bought in 2014 or later in California are also registered. Those bought legally before then may non exist.

Firearm owners moving to California have to annals their firearms within 60 days. They employ a different grade – the New Resident Firearm Ownership Form.

What are the benefits?

Submitting a FOR Application makes yous the official owner of the firearm.

If the firearm is lost or stolen, and then found, it will exist returned to yous. If the gun is not registered, at that place will be no official possessor. It will non be returned to you if it is not registered.

How can I cheque to see if my firearms are registered?

You can request a list of firearms registered in your name. You tin get it by submitting an Automated Firearms System Records Request Form.

The form has to exist:

signed,
notarized, and
accompanied by a copy of your driver's license or photograph ID.

Y'all can mail service the course to:

Department of Justice
Bureau of Firearms
AFS Private Denizen Request
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

What about assault weapons?

Assail weapons cannot exist registered in California, anymore.

State law prepare ownership and registration periods for assault weapons. This included Browning Machine Guns (BMG). All of those registration windows have passed.¹

Can I get in legal problem for filing the class?

Yes.

If you claim ownership of an assault weapon, or any illegal weapon for that affair, you could face charges of illegal possession of a firearm. Attack weapons are illegal to possess in California. Only those that were registered during the registration windows are exempt. If you make full out a FOR Awarding listing an assault weapon and send it to the DOJ, information technology can exist used equally evidence against you.

Illegal possession of an assault weapon is a wobbler in California. It tin can exist prosecuted every bit a felony or a misdemeanor.

If prosecuted as a misdemeanor, a conviction carries upward to:

1 year in jail, and/or
$1,000 in fines.^two

If pursued equally a felony, the potential jail fourth dimension is 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years.^three

A FOR Application can also exist used as show of theillegal sale of a firearm. California constabulary requires that all gun sales be completed through a licensed dealer.⁴ The FOR Application asks how yous obtained the weapon. The answer may be used as evidence that yous got the gun illegally. The person who sold or transferred the gun could be charged with a criminal offence.

Illegally selling a firearm is a misdemeanor. The penalties tin can include upwards to: