Does A Non Resident Have To Register Handgun In California

June 5, 2021 update: On June 4, 2021, a federal guess overturned California's ban on assault weapons on the grounds that information technology violates the constitutional right to bear artillery nether the Second Amendment. But assault weapons remain illegal in California while the state appeals the ruling.

Y'all can register an unregistered gun in California by completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Awarding. This voluntarily declares that you are the possessor of the firearm. Nonetheless, this form cannot exist used to annals an attack weapon.

A FOR Application is not required for near firearms. They will have been registered by the dealer during the sale. However, there are reasons to register a firearm on your own. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may be returned to the person listed on the form. If the gun is unregistered, it will not exist returned.

Submitting a FOR Awarding could besides atomic number 82 to legal trouble. You lot could exist accused of possession of an assault weapon. The person who sold or gave y'all the weapon could too be charged with illegally transferring a firearm. The form tin can exist used as evidence.

man holding revolver

Y'all can register an unregistered gun in California by filling out and submitting a Firearm Ownership Study (FOR) Awarding.

What is the Firearm Ownership Report Application?

The Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Application is a legal class. Information technology goes to the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The form is also known equally the BOF 4542A. By filling out and submitting the form, you voluntarily register a firearm. You are declared its legal owner.

To fill out the course, you need to provide information well-nigh yourself, including:

your personal and contact information,
where you were born,
citizenship condition and identification information, including a copy of your commuter's license or ID card,
Handgun Safety Certificate number, and
any aliases you are known by.

Y'all volition also have to provide information nearly 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,
butt length,
colour, and
when and how you caused it.

There is space for declaring ownership of three firearms on each awarding form. If you lot want to declare ownership of more than iii, you 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:

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

This class cannot exist used to register an assault weapon. Set on weapons generally cannot be registered in California anymore.

Do I have to file this application?

No, in that location 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 information was collected during the background check.

Long guns that were legally bought in 2014 or afterwards in California are also registered. Those bought legally before then may not be.

Firearm owners moving to California accept to annals their firearms inside threescore days. They use a dissimilar course – the New Resident Firearm Buying Course.

What are the benefits?

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

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

How tin I bank check to run into if my firearms are registered?

You can asking a list of firearms registered in your name. You lot can go it past submitting an Automated Firearms System Records Request Class.

The course has to exist:

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

Yous can mail the form to:

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

What most assail weapons?

Assault weapons cannot exist registered in California, anymore.

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

Can I go in legal problem for filing the form?

Yes.

If yous claim ownership of an assault weapon, or whatever illegal weapon for that matter, you could face charges of illegal possession of a firearm. Assault weapons are illegal to possess in California. But those that were registered during the registration windows are exempt. If you make full out a FOR Application list an assault weapon and transport it to the DOJ, it can be used equally evidence against you.

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

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

1 year in jail, and/or
$one,000 in fines.²

If pursued as a felony, the potential jail time is 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years.³

A FOR Application tin can as well be used every bit bear witness of theillegal sale of a firearm. California constabulary requires that all gun sales be completed through a licensed dealer.^iv The FOR Awarding asks how you lot obtained the weapon. The reply may exist used as testify that you got the gun illegally. The person who sold or transferred the gun could be charged with a crime.

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

six months in jail, and/or
$1,000 in fines.

Legal References: