I am moving to California: what do I have to do with my handguns?

Penal Code 17000 defines the term. In short, it is an individual who is 18 or older, owns a firearm acquired outside California, moved into the state as a resident, intends to possess the firearm here, and has not already reported it to DOJ. The definition excludes assault weapons, machineguns, .50 BMG rifles, and destructive devices, so those items cannot be handled with the new resident report.

Residency is determined the same way as for a driver license, except that a member of the Armed Forces becomes a resident for this purpose on discharge from active service in California (Penal Code 17000(b)).

The statute in force today reads "within 60 days after bringing any firearm into this state" (Penal Code 27560(a)(1)). DOJ's form (Rev. 01/2020), its reporting page, and its FAQ all say 60 days as well (BOF 4010A, DOJ reporting page, DOJ FAQ). Those pages match the law in force today. Once the statute changes on January 1, 2027, the statute controls even if a DOJ page still shows 60 days.

SB 948 was signed on September 26, 2026 (Stats. 2026, ch. 465). The chaptered text has no urgency clause, so it takes effect January 1, 2027. It makes three changes for new residents (SB 948):

1. The reporting window becomes "within 180 days."
2. A person required to file the report must obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) within 180 days of bringing the firearm in. Antique firearms are excepted, and a violation is an infraction (amended Penal Code 31615(a)(3), (b)(2)).
3. Starting January 1, 2028, the report must include a certification, under penalty of perjury, that the person has a valid FSC or qualifies for an exemption, along with the FSC number or the exemption claimed.

Penal Code 27560(a)(1) lists four: submit the report to DOJ; sell or transfer the firearm through a licensed dealer or under an exemption to the dealer requirement; sell or transfer it to a licensed dealer; or sell or transfer it to a sheriff or police department.

The report can be mailed on form BOF 4010A or filed online in the California Firearms Application Reporting System (CFARS) (DOJ reporting page). According to the form (BOF 4010A):

• "A total processing fee of $19.00 must accompany this report."
• A copy of a California driver license or ID card is required. A card marked "FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY" needs added proof of lawful presence. The form also accepts a military ID with a copy of permanent duty station orders.
• The report "may not be used to report ownership of assault weapons."

DOJ has proposed raising the fee for this and other self-reporting forms from $19.00 to $31.00, plus $5.00 for each additional firearm on the form. The notice was published June 12, 2026, and a public hearing was set for August 17, 2026. As checked on 2026-11-10, the page still listed the rule as proposed, with no final statement of reasons posted (DOJ regulations page).

The roster law covers a person who "imports into the state for sale" an unsafe handgun (Penal Code 32000(a)). DOJ tells new residents: "You may bring all of your California-legal firearms with you, but you must report them all" (DOJ FAQ). The roster lookup shows which models dealers may sell.

California defines a "large-capacity magazine" as a feeding device that can accept more than 10 rounds, with a few exceptions such as .22 caliber tube magazines (Penal Code 16740). Importing one is punishable by up to a year in county jail or as a felony, and possession is separately punishable, with the exceptions that chapter provides (Penal Code 32310).

The Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, upheld the possession ban on March 20, 2025 (Duncan v. Bonta). A petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review that decision was filed August 15, 2025, and was still pending on the Court's docket as checked on 2026-11-10, with no order granting or denying it (No. 25-198).

California's definition includes some pistols. Under Penal Code 30515(a)(4) and (5), an assault weapon includes:

• A semiautomatic pistol without a fixed magazine that has a threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; a second handgrip; a barrel shroud; or the capacity to accept a detachable magazine outside the pistol grip.
• A semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.

Importing an assault weapon into the state is a felony, except as the assault weapon chapter provides (Penal Code 30600). The item rules page covers these definitions.

A violation of the reporting article is generally a misdemeanor (Penal Code 27590(a)). The Legislature also wrote that the reporting sections "shall not apply to a person who reports ownership of a firearm after the applicable grace period" if evidence of the violation arises only from the person submitting the report (Penal Code 27570(b)). SB 948 adds a similar provision for the new FSC deadline starting January 1, 2027 (SB 948, section 3).