What is California's law on buying a firearm barrel (SB 704)?

Penal Code 16525 defines a firearm barrel as "the tube, usually metal and cylindrical, through which a projectile or shot charge is fired." The statute adds that a firearm barrel "may have a rifled or smooth bore."

The definition also covers an unfinished article that has reached a stage where it may readily be completed for use as a barrel, and an article that is marketed or sold to the public to become a barrel.

A barrel that is attached or affixed to a firearm is outside the barrel rules. A complete firearm is already covered by the regular dealer process described in the DROS guide.

Three rules have applied since January 1, 2026:

1. Dealer, in person. A barrel "shall not be sold or transferred unless that transaction is completed in person" by a licensed firearms dealer (PC 33700(a)(1)). The statute does not carve out private party sales or gifts; the listed exemptions are below.
2. Buyer standard. A person is authorized to buy or otherwise acquire a barrel if they are at least 18 and not prohibited from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm (PC 33700(b)).
3. No possession for unlawful sale. No person may possess a barrel with the intent to sell it, or offer to sell it, in violation of the section (PC 33700(a)(3)).

A separate 2025 law, AB 1263, also applies to barrel sales. DOJ's summary says a firearm industry member must give the buyer of an unattached barrel a notice about the laws on unlawful firearm manufacture, get the buyer's acknowledgment, and verify with proof of age and identity that the buyer is at least 18 (DOJ bulletin 2026-DLE-02).

Two duties begin for dealers on that date:

• Eligibility check. The dealer must conduct an eligibility check, "in a manner prescribed by the Department of Justice," to determine whether the buyer is authorized to purchase a barrel (PC 33700(a)(2)).
• Record and report. The dealer must record the date of the sale; the buyer's full name, date of birth, residential address, telephone number, and driver's license or other ID number with its state of issue; the make, model, and caliber of the firearm the barrel is designed for; and the salesperson's name. The dealer must then send that information to DOJ electronically (PC 33700(c) and (d)).

The final rules are not set. DOJ published proposed regulations on August 7, 2026, and the written comment period closed September 22, 2026. As of 2026-11-10, DOJ's rulemaking page still lists the regulations as a proposal.

The proposed text (proposed sections 4304 to 4310 of title 11 of the California Code of Regulations) describes two checks run through the dealer: a "Standard" check for a person whose information matches a state Automated Firearms System record, and a "Basic" check for a single transaction. The proposal sets the fee for each at $0.00, and says barrels approved under a Basic check must be delivered within 30 calendar days of approval. These details can change before the regulations are final.

Penal Code 33700(g) exempts the following from the process in the section:

• Sales or transfers to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
• Sales or transfers to a federal firearms licensee.
• Sales or transfers to the United States military.
• A buyer who, in the same transaction, is separately purchasing a firearm and going through the state and federal firearm eligibility check.
• A federally licensed collector with a current Certificate of Eligibility who is acquiring the barrel of a curio or relic firearm.
• Transfers to or from a public administrator, guardian, conservator, executor, or other estate representative. A later sale from that person to a third party, other than law enforcement or a dealer, must go through a dealer.
• A barrel that is attached or affixed to a firearm.
• Barrels turned in to a government agency through an authorized voluntary buyback program.

A first violation of the dealer and eligibility rules is a misdemeanor. A second is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A third or later violation can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, with a fine of up to $2,000 (PC 33700(f)).