The Wire · CalGunHub

DOJ proposes raising voluntary firearm ownership reporting fee to $31

Published August 17, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

The plan would raise self-reporting form fees from $19 to $31, with $5 more per additional firearm; a virtual public hearing was held Aug. 17, 2026.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: If adopted, the increase would raise the cost of voluntary self-reporting forms used by new residents, people documenting inheritance or family transfers, and curio and relic collectors, adding $12 to the base fee and $5 for each extra firearm on a form. The proposal is not final; the amounts remain proposed figures pending adoption and administrative law review. The department's rulemaking page will carry the final statement of reasons if the change is approved. This is general information, not legal advice.

The Department of Justice has proposed increasing the charge for self-reporting forms used to voluntarily document firearm ownership, from $19 to $31, with a further $5 charge for every additional firearm entered on a form, according to the department's rulemaking page.

The proposal implements AB 3064, which took effect Jan. 1, 2026 and authorizes the department to raise the fees so they cover the reasonable costs of regulatory and enforcement processing, including a per-firearm charge for extra entries. Penal Code Section 28230 previously capped the fees at $14 with adjustments for inflation, according to the department.

Five forms would be affected, according to the rulemaking notice: the new resident ownership report (BOF 4010A); the standard firearm ownership report (BOF 4542A); the form for reporting operation-of-law and intra-familial transactions (BOF 4544A); the curio or relic firearm report (BOF 4100A); and the collector's form covering in-state curio or relic long gun acquisitions (BOF 961).

The proposal was published in the Notice Register on June 12, 2026. Because a hearing was requested within the allowed window, the department held a virtual public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 17, 2026, and pushed the written comment deadline to 5 p.m. that day, according to the rulemaking page.

The fee change would apply to people who voluntarily report firearms to the department, including new residents documenting guns brought into the state, people reporting operation-of-law or intra-familial transfers, and curio and relic collectors. As of Oct. 12, 2026, the proposal remained pending final adoption and review by the Office of Administrative Law, so the $19 fee remains the operative figure unless the department finalizes the change. No independent news coverage of the proposal was located.

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