The Wire · CalGunHub

Comment periods close on dealer notice rules, safety device program updates

Published July 31, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

Two DOJ rulemakings, one on AB 1263 purchaser notices and one on the Firearm Safety Device Program, ended 45-day comment periods Sept. 15, 2026.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: The notice-and-acknowledgment proposal applies to firearm industry members selling accessories, firearm manufacturing machines, or unattached barrels in California, and it would add a three-year record-retention duty subject to inspection. The safety device amendments apply to manufacturers of devices on the department's roster, including a new annual renewal deadline. Both proposals remain pending; neither is final. Dealers and manufacturers can monitor the department's rulemaking pages for final adoption notices. This is general information, not legal advice.

Two rulemakings affecting firearms dealers completed 45-day public comment periods on Sept. 15, 2026, according to Department of Justice rulemaking pages: proposed purchaser-notice rules implementing AB 1263's Firearm Industry Standard of Conduct, plus revisions to the Firearm Safety Device Program. Both proposals were published in the Notice Register on July 31, 2026.

AB 1263, chaptered in 2025, amended Civil Code Section 3273.51, which prohibits firearm industry members from knowingly and willfully causing or facilitating the unlawful manufacture of firearms. Before completing the California sale or delivery of covered items, namely firearm accessories, firearm manufacturing machines, and unattached firearm barrels, an industry member must provide the purchaser with a clear and conspicuous notice containing the information described in Section 3273.51(e)(2), then obtain a signed acknowledgment. The proposed regulations would require dealers to retain that notice for inspection for three years and would adopt a new optional-use form, according to the rulemaking notice. A California Rifle and Pistol Association alert said the proposal would make the notice requirements subject to dealer inspections.

The safety device amendments address three areas, according to the notice. They explain how manufacturers may engrave or permanently affix a name, model name, and model number, a marking requirement that has applied since Jan. 1, 2026 under Penal Code Section 23655(f)(2). They create a process for correcting deficiencies in a device without retesting it. And they require safety device manufacturers to seek roster renewal by the first business day of every calendar year at the latest, with a description of any modifications.

The advocacy group covered both proposals in an Aug. 10 advisory roundup. Written comments on each rulemaking closed at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15. The department's next steps are reviewing submissions and, if it proceeds, preparing final statements of reasons for submission to the Office of Administrative Law, per the rulemaking pages.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.