What are California's rules on minors and firearms?

Every exception in Penal Code 29615 requires that the minor be actively engaged in, or in direct transit to or from, a lawful activity that involves the use of a firearm. The statute names recreational sport including competitive shooting, agricultural, ranching, or hunting activity, and hunting education, among others.

For any firearm, including a handgun or a semiautomatic centerfire rifle, subdivisions (a) through (d) pair the activity with one of these:

• The minor is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• The minor is accompanied by a responsible adult and has prior written consent from a parent or guardian.
• The minor is at least 16 and has prior written consent from a parent or guardian.
• The minor has prior written consent and is on land owned or lawfully possessed by the parent or guardian.

Subdivision (e) adds a path for firearms other than handguns and semiautomatic centerfire rifles, such as a bolt-action rifle. It requires the express permission of a parent or guardian, and the minor must be 16 or older or be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

A minor's violation is punishable as a misdemeanor unless a listed condition applies. For a minor with a listed prior finding, or one found guilty of possessing a handgun in violation of Section 29610, the statute provides for imprisonment under Penal Code 1170(h) or in a county jail (Penal Code 29700).

The base rule is that no person, corporation, or firm may "sell, loan, or transfer a firearm to a minor" (Penal Code 27505(a)). The exceptions in subdivision (b) that apply to minors are loans, not sales or gifts. Each is for one of the lawful activities above, and for no longer than reasonably needed for that activity:

• Parent or guardian loans: any firearm.
• A handgun or semiautomatic centerfire rifle loaned by someone else: the parent or guardian must be present at the loan or give written consent presented at or before it, and the loan cannot exceed 10 days.
• Other firearms loaned by someone else: express parental permission, and no more than 5 days, or 10 days with written consent or the parent present. A minor under 16 must also be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult.

A loan that fits these exceptions does not have to go through a licensed dealer (Penal Code 27945).

A minor may possess live ammunition only with written consent from a parent or guardian, when accompanied by a parent or guardian, or while actively engaged in, or going to or from, a lawful sport, ranching, agricultural, or hunting activity that involves a firearm (Penal Code 29655).

Hunting is one of the named activities in the possession and loan exceptions. Licensing is separate: a junior hunting license is issued to a person who is under 16 on July 1 of the licensing year (Fish and Game Code 3031(a)(2)), and no hunting license is issued without evidence of hunter education or a qualifying prior license (Fish and Game Code 3050). A license does not replace the conditions in Penal Code 29615.

A person commits criminal storage of a firearm when they keep any firearm on premises under their custody or control, know or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access without the permission of a parent or guardian, and the child gets it. It is first degree if the child causes death or great bodily injury, and second degree if the child causes a lesser injury or carries the firearm to a public place. The same section covers access by a person prohibited from possessing firearms. Third-degree criminal storage requires no injury: negligently storing or leaving a firearm where a child is likely to gain access is enough (Penal Code 25100).

• Penalties: first degree is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment, a fine up to $10,000, or both, or alternatively by up to one year in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both. Second degree is punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both. Third degree is a misdemeanor (Penal Code 25110).
• Exceptions: the law does not apply when the firearm is securely stored, meaning kept in, locked by, or disabled with a certified firearm safety device or a secure gun safe, or when it is carried or readily controlled by a lawful authorized user (Penal Code 25105, 25145).

DOJ's FAQ still describes this law as covering a "loaded firearm." The statute in force since January 1, 2026 says "any firearm." The statute controls, and the DOJ page has not been updated (DOJ FAQ). See California storage laws.

AB 2571, codified at Business and Professions Code 22949.80, says in its text that firearm industry members shall not advertise firearm-related products "in a manner that is designed, intended, or reasonably appears to be attractive to minors," with civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation. The text is still in the code, but a federal court has permanently enjoined the Attorney General from enforcing the section. As of 2026-11-10, the district court docket shows the March 17, 2026 final judgment as its last filing and lists the case as terminated on that date:

• September 13, 2023: the Ninth Circuit reversed the denial of a preliminary injunction in Junior Sports Magazines v. Bonta, finding a likely First Amendment violation (opinion).
• July 7, 2025: the Ninth Circuit clarified that its analysis "applied to the entirety of Section 22949.80" (memorandum).
• March 17, 2026: on the parties' stipulation, the district court entered final judgment and permanently enjoined the Attorney General from enforcing section 22949.80. The docket entry for the order also directs the Attorney General to notify district attorneys, county counsels, and city attorneys that enforcement "has been permanently enjoined in its entirety" (docket entries 94 and 95). The statute's text still appears in the code.