The Wire · CalGunHub
San Jose gun buyback takes in 350 firearms, including 21 assault weapons, police say
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SJPD reported 350 firearms collected at the Dec. 6, 2025 event, which offered cash compensation and free gun locks to Santa Clara County residents.
Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting
Who this affects: Buybacks like this one are voluntary; no one was required to surrender a firearm. The Dec. 6, 2025 event was open to all Santa Clara County residents and paid $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns and $200 for assault weapons, with non-functional firearms and ammunition accepted for disposal. Police said everything collected would be destroyed. Free gun locks and information on safe storage and gun violence restraining orders were available at the event through the district attorney's office. This is general information, not legal advice.
The San Jose Police Department collected 350 firearms at a no-questions-asked buyback held Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the SJPD substation, including 21 firearms that KRON4, citing the department, described as assault weapons.
The event ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was open to all Santa Clara County residents, regardless of whether they live in San Jose, according to an SJPD announcement. Participants received $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns and $200 for assault weapons; non-functional firearms and ammunition were also accepted for disposal without compensation.
Partner organizations included the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, county supervisors Otto Lee and Sylvia Arenas, Mayor Matt Mahan and members of the city council, Kaiser Permanente, and the San Jose Sharks Community Fund. The district attorney's office distributed free gun locks along with information on safe storage, gun violence restraining orders, and county mental health and suicide prevention resources.
SJPD said all collected firearms will be destroyed. City officials said local buybacks held since 2019 have taken in nearly 2,000 guns in total.
"Every firearm turned in through the Gun Buy Back program potentially represents one less tragedy in our community," San Jose Chief of Police Paul Joseph said in the department's announcement.
"Every dusty, old, unwanted gun is a potential suicide, murder, or accident, waiting to happen," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in the same announcement.
Buybacks are one of several local public-safety programs in San Jose, and the December event was framed by police, the district attorney and the mayor's office as a voluntary way for residents to dispose of unwanted firearms.
Sources
Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.