Firearms: safety certificates
Chaptered. Effective date is not on the official record yet.
Official status checked 2026-10-04 23:45 PT
Sen. Arreguín; coauthor Sen. Richardson · Last amended 2026-08-13
Bill summary
Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm to possess a firearm safety certificate.
Existing law also prohibits a person from selling or transferring a firearm to any person who does not possess a firearm safety certificate.
A violation of either of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires a personal firearm importer, within 60 days of bringing any firearm into this state, to, among other things, submit a report including information concerning that individual and a description of the firearm in question to the Department of Justice.
The official digest continues on the official text.
Now vs if chaptered
NOW: chaptered as Ch. 465 (Sept. 26, 2026). New importer infraction and 4-hour live-fire FSC course are not yet in force (Jan. 1, 2028 / Jan. 1, 2029). Existing §31615(a)(1)-(2) FSC misdemeanor is unchanged.
Defender utility
California PDs: this is live Ch. 465, but the new importer infraction and 4-hour live-fire FSC course are delayed (January 1, 2028 / January 1, 2029). Do not charge the new (a)(3) infraction or the training mandate before those dates. Existing FSC misdemeanor remains current law. Dead sibling AB 1187 is not a substitute. Challenge posture: new training condition on the existing FSC, not a new possessory felony.
Who this is for. PDs and importers — live Ch. 465 FSC/importer rewrite; new infraction and 4-hour course are delayed to 2028/2029; existing FSC misdemeanor is unchanged.
Key dates
- Chapter
- 465
- Approved
- 2026-09-26
- Chaptered
- 2026-09-26
- Introduced
- 2026-02-02
- Training mandate
- 2029-01-01
- Importer fsc cert
- 2028-01-01
- Last amended assembly
- 2026-08-13
- Senate concurred enrolled
- 2026-08-25
Exemptions (draft)
Training mandate does not apply to valid CCW holders or persons who completed §26165 CCW training within the previous three years. Importer FSC-within-180-days does not apply if the only evidence of violation is a later FSC application or a 27560 compliance filing after the 180 days. Confirm chaptered text for Article 2/3 FSC exemptions.
Penalties (if chaptered)
New §31615(a)(3) importer/bring-in without timely FSC is an infraction (not a misdemeanor), delayed. Failure to include FSC number or exemption in the 27560 report is punished under that infraction. Perjury exposure on the January 1, 2028 certification. Existing (a)(1)-(2) FSC purchase/transfer misdemeanor is current law, not created by this bill.
Bank hints
- Motion Bank: firearm safety certificate / conditions on acquisition
- Do not duplicate dead AB 1187 (8-hour FSC bill died Feb 2026)