Revision as of 17:13, 21 August 2009

Time Line of California Firearms Laws

See also the section on Important Cases for legal actions regarding firearms.

Dealer's Record of Sale (DROS), 1924

DROS was implemented by AB 263-Hawes, introduced in 1923 and effective August 7, 1924. Licensed dealers were, and are, required to report handgun sales to the state. See also Firearms registration.

Concealed weapons illegal without permit, 1924 and later

While there had been some earlier restrictions, that same Hawes bill replaced the prior CCW permit law. Current prohibitions are enacted in Penal Code 12025.

Loaded guns in public banned - Mulford Act, 1967

A frightened California legislature passed the Mulford Act which gave us Penal Code 12031.

Firearms purchase waiting periods

Actually beginning with one day for handguns in 1923, the California Legislature increased the handgun waiting period from one to three days in 1955, to five days in 1965, and to 15 days in 1975. (See a critical article on waiting periods by Clayton Cramer.) The current wait is 10 days from AB 671, effective April 1, 1997.

First round of 'Assault Weapons' laws (by name): Roberti-Roos, 1990

The 1989 Patrick Purdy/Stockton incident finally gave the last push to this bill, giving us Penal Code 12275 and following. See also The History of Assault Weapon Laws.

Required Sales Through Dealers, 1991

Prior to 1991, firearms sales could be private; after 1991, Penal Code 12070 required substantially all sales to use a California-licensed FFL dealer. See also Buying and selling firearms in California.

Intra-family transfers, 1994

Some family members were exempted from the use-a-dealer requirement by Penal Code 12078, added to the Penal Code by AB 166, effective Jan 1, 1994. See also Transferring Firearms Among Some Family Members.

Basic Firearms Safety Certificate, 1994

Now superseded, this was a lifetime certificate needed for handgun purchase, until 2003. See also The Handgun Safety Certificate.

California Gun Free School Zones, 1994

Penal Code 626.9 was created by 1994 AB 645. See also Gun Free School Zones. (Current Federal law is from 1995, re-passed after the 1990 version was deemed unconstitutional.)

Locked, unloaded transport, 1996

AB 92 created the Penal Code 12026.1 and 12026.2 exceptions to handgun concealed carry violations if carried unloaded and in a locked case.

Armor piercing handgun ammunition banned, 1996

AB 99

Second round of 'Assault Weapons' laws (by feature): SB23, 2000

1998's other major change, SB23, gave us the 'by feature' 'assault weapons' laws.

The same bill also gave us the 'large-capacity magazine' restrictions.

Roster of Handguns (Safe Gun list), 2001

1998 bill SB15 created the Roster, effective January 1, 2001. See also The Safe Handgun List.

Handgun Safety Certificate, 2003

This replacement for the Basic Firearms Safety Certificate has different exemption rules than the older document, and this one expires. See also The Handgun Safety Certificate