Do Old Rifles Need To Be Registered In Ca

June five, 2021 update: On June 4, 2021, a federal judge overturned California'due south ban on assault weapons on the grounds that it violates the constitutional right to bear arms nether the 2nd Amendment. But assault weapons remain illegal in California while the state appeals the ruling.

Yous tin register an unregistered gun in California past completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Application. This voluntarily declares that you are the owner of the firearm. Even so, this form cannot be used to register an assail weapon.

A FOR Application is not required for most firearms. They volition accept been registered past the dealer during the sale. Nevertheless, there are reasons to annals a firearm on your own. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may exist returned to the person listed on the course. If the gun is unregistered, information technology volition not be returned.

Submitting a FOR Application could besides lead to legal problem. You could be defendant of possession of an set on weapon. The person who sold or gave you the weapon could as well be charged with illegally transferring a firearm. The grade tin can be used as show.

man holding revolver

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

What is the Firearm Buying Report Application?

The Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Application is a legal form. It goes to the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The grade is besides known as the BOF 4542A. By filling out and submitting the form, you voluntarily register a firearm. Y'all are declared its legal owner.

To fill out the grade, you need to provide data about yourself, including:

your personal and contact information,
where you were born,
citizenship condition and identification information, including a copy of your driver's license or ID bill of fare,
Handgun Safety Certificate number, and
any aliases yous are known past.

You will likewise accept to provide information about the firearm yous are declaring:

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

There is space for declaring ownership of three firearms on each application course. If you desire to declare ownership of more than than iii, you lot tin can attach additional copies of the form.

You will take to pay a $19 processing fee for each FOR Application.

The course can exist mailed to:

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

This grade cannot be used to register an assault weapon. Assault weapons generally cannot exist registered in California anymore.

Do I accept to file this application?

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

the firearm is an attack weapon, or
y'all are moving into California and own a firearm.

Handguns that were legally bought in California are already registered. They were registered past the dealer. Y'all are the registered possessor of these firearms. Your information was collected during the background check.

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

Firearm owners moving to California have to annals their firearms inside 60 days. They use a different form – the New Resident Firearm Ownership 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 so constitute, it volition be returned to you. If the gun is not registered, there will exist no official owner. It will not be returned to you if it is not registered.

How tin can I check to meet if my firearms are registered?

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

The course has to exist:

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

Y'all tin can mail the form to:

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

What about set on weapons?

Assault weapons cannot be registered in California, anymore.

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

Can I make it legal trouble for filing the form?

Yeah.

If you claim ownership of an assault weapon, or whatever illegal weapon for that affair, you could face charges of illegal possession of a firearm. Assault weapons are illegal to possess in California. Simply those that were registered during the registration windows are exempt. If you fill out a FOR Application listing an assault weapon and ship it to the DOJ, it tin can be used every bit evidence confronting you.

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

If prosecuted equally a misdemeanor, a conviction carries upwards to:

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

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

A FOR Application can too exist used as evidence of theillegal sale of a firearm. California law requires that all gun sales be completed through a licensed dealer.⁴ The FOR Awarding 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 exist charged with a criminal offense.

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

6 months in jail, and/or
$i,000 in fines.

Legal References: