Plan your PPT

What the buyer brings and expects. The dealer will ask for every document on this list.

• Bring a valid California IDA California driver license or state ID. If yours is not a REAL ID, bring a second document proving lawful presence (a passport, birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization), because the dealer will ask for it.
• Bring proof of California residency for a handgunA handgun transfer needs residency documentation beyond the ID itself, such as a current utility bill or vehicle registration in your name. Ask your dealer which documents they accept before you drive out.
• Have a current FSC, or know your exemptionThe Firearm Safety Certificate is required to acquire a firearm and is valid five years. Practice the written test free first; the real one is 30 questions given at the dealer.
  Practice the FSC test first
• Settle payment privately with the sellerArrange payment between yourselves, however the two of you agree. CalGunHub is not a party to the transaction, never holds funds, and takes no position on how or when you pay.
• Plan for the 10-day waitA PPT runs the same 10-day waiting period as any other transfer. You will make two trips: paperwork now, pickup on or after day 10, within the dealer's pickup window.
  Track your 10 days

  Have an account? Your saved reminders live in the members tool.

• Know that the handgun roster does not block a PPTThe roster limits what dealers may sell from their own inventory. An off-roster handgun can still come to you through a private party transfer, which is the main reason PPTs matter in California.
  Look up a model
• Check what comes with itMagazine capacity and ammunition rules are their own regime in California, and they do not travel with the firearm just because it is a lawful transfer. Know the rules before anything changes hands.
  Ammunition rules

What the seller brings and does. Your part finishes on the first visit.

• Update your listing honestlyMark the listing Pending once you have agreed to a transfer, and Sold after it completes. Sold is a listing state on our side. We do not record who bought it.
• Bring your own valid IDThe dealer processes you as the transferor, so you need government ID at the counter too. Your part of the paperwork happens on the first visit.
• Transport it unloaded and casedBring it unloaded, in a locked container or the trunk, with ammunition separate. A handgun in the glove compartment or center console does not meet the transport rule.
  Storage & transport rules
• Never hand the firearm over directlyCalifornia law requires private party firearm transfers to be completed through a licensed dealer. The dealer takes possession from you and releases it to the buyer later; a parking-lot handoff is not a PPT, whatever the two of you agreed.
• Know the dealer's fee schedule before you goThe state caps the dealer's in-person PPT service fee, but shops differ on what else they charge and on whether they run PPTs at all. Confirm by phone, and agree with the buyer in advance who is paying which line.
  Dealers that handle PPTs
• Keep it cased until the dealer says otherwiseDo not unbag or clear the firearm in the parking lot or the lobby. Staff will tell you where and when to hand it across, and they do the checking.

The part you both have to agree on before anyone drives anywhere.

• Pick the dealer together, in advanceNot every FFL runs private party transfers, and hours and appointment policies vary. Agree on one shop, then call it to confirm it takes PPTs and ask what to bring.
  Find a PPT-friendly dealer
• Both parties show up for the first visitA PPT needs both of you present for the paperwork. Only the buyer returns for the pickup after the waiting period.
• Expect the fees at the counterThe state fee and the capped PPT service fee are fixed; the dealer's own charges and use tax are not. Estimate the total before you go so nobody is surprised at the register.
  Estimate the total
• Do the paperwork, then the clock startsThe dealer submits the transfer, the background check runs, and the 10-day waiting period begins. The dealer holds the firearm the entire time.
• Buyer returns for pickupOn or after day 10, the buyer comes back, performs a safe-handling demonstration if required, and takes possession. Missing the pickup window can void the transaction and cost the fees again.
  Set the 10-day reminder

  Have an account? Your saved reminders live in the members tool.

What you pay at the counter

Two of these are fixed by the state and two are not. Agree in advance which of you covers which line: that conversation is between the two of you, and we take no part in it.

• State fees (DROS)

  $37.19

  Fixed statewide. Submitted by the dealer, same for every transfer.

• Dealer PPT service fee

  Up to $10

  State-capped per firearm for an in-person private party transfer. A dealer may charge less.

• Dealer's own charges

  Varies by shop

  Some shops add handling or per-item charges beyond the capped PPT fee. Ask when you call.

• Use tax on the sale price

  Roughly 8%–10.75%

  Depends on the district rate where the dealer is, and the dealer typically collects it.