How Do I Register My Assault Rifle In California

June 5, 2021 update: On June 4, 2021, a federal judge overturned California'southward ban on assault weapons on the grounds that information technology violates the constitutional right to behave arms under the Second Subpoena. Only attack weapons remain illegal in California while the state appeals the ruling.

Yous tin can annals an unregistered gun in California by completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Study (FOR) Application. This voluntarily declares that you are the owner of the firearm. However, this form cannot be used to register an attack weapon.

A FOR Awarding is not required for virtually firearms. They will have been registered by the dealer during the sale. Withal, at that place are reasons to annals a firearm on your own. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may be returned to the person listed on the form. If the gun is unregistered, it will non be returned.

Submitting a FOR Application could also atomic number 82 to legal trouble. You could be accused of possession of an set on weapon. The person who sold or gave y'all the weapon could likewise be charged with illegally transferring a firearm. The grade can be used as evidence.

man holding revolver

Y'all can register an unregistered gun in California by filling out and submitting a Firearm Ownership Written report (FOR) Awarding.

What is the Firearm Ownership Report Application?

The Firearm Buying Report (FOR) Application is a legal form. It goes to the California Section of Justice (DOJ). The form is likewise known as the BOF 4542A. By filling out and submitting the form, you lot voluntarily register a firearm. Y'all are alleged its legal owner.

To fill up out the form, you need to provide data well-nigh yourself, including:

your personal and contact information,
where you were born,
citizenship status and identification data, including a copy of your driver's license or ID carte,
Handgun Safety Document number, and
any aliases you are known by.

Yous will also have to provide information almost the firearm you are declaring:

whether information technology is a handgun or a long gun, and what blazon information technology is,
serial number,
make and model,
caliber,
origin,
butt length,
color, and
when and how you caused it.

In that location is space for declaring ownership of 3 firearms on each awarding form. If y'all desire to declare ownership of more than 3, you lot can attach additional copies of the form.

You volition have to pay a $19 processing fee for each FOR Application.

The course tin be mailed to:

Department of Justice
Bureau of Firearms – FOR
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

This course cannot be used to register an assault weapon. Attack weapons by and large cannot exist registered in California anymore.

Do I have to file this awarding?

No, there is no legal requirement that a firearm has to exist registered unless:

the firearm is an assault weapon, or
yous are moving into California and own a firearm.

Handguns that were legally bought in California are already registered. They were registered past the dealer. You are the registered owner of these firearms. Your information was collected during the background cheque.

Long guns that were legally bought in 2014 or later on in California are also registered. Those bought legally before and then may not be.

Firearm owners moving to California have to register their firearms inside 60 days. They use a unlike form – the New Resident Firearm Buying Form.

What are the benefits?

Submitting a FOR Awarding makes yous the official owner of the firearm.

If the firearm is lost or stolen, and and so institute, information technology will exist returned to you. If the gun is non registered, there will be no official owner. It will not be returned to you if it is not registered.

How tin can I check to see if my firearms are registered?

Y'all can request a list of firearms registered in your name. You can get it by submitting an Automatic Firearms System Records Request Course.

The form has to exist:

signed,
notarized, and
accompanied by a copy of your driver's license or photo ID.

You tin can mail the form to:

Section of Justice
Bureau of Firearms
AFS Private Denizen Request
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

What about assault weapons?

Assault weapons cannot be registered in California, anymore.

State law set ownership and registration periods for set on weapons. This included Browning Machine Guns (BMG). All of those registration windows have passed.^one

Can I get in legal trouble for filing the form?

Yes.

If you claim ownership of an assault weapon, or any illegal weapon for that affair, y'all could face up charges of illegal possession of a firearm. Set on weapons are illegal to possess in California. Only those that were registered during the registration windows are exempt. If yous fill out a FOR Application list an assault weapon and ship it to the DOJ, it can be used equally show against y'all.

Illegal possession of an attack weapon is a wobbler in California. Information technology tin can be prosecuted as a felony or a misdemeanor.

If prosecuted equally a misdemeanor, a confidence carries up to:

1 yr in jail, and/or
$one,000 in fines.ⁱⁱ

If pursued equally a felony, the potential jail fourth dimension is xvi months, 2 years, or 3 years.³

A FOR Application can also be used as evidence of theillegal sale of a firearm. California law requires that all gun sales exist completed through a licensed dealer.^iv The FOR Awarding asks how you lot obtained the weapon. The answer may be used as evidence that you got the gun illegally. The person who sold or transferred the gun could be charged with a crime.

Illegally selling a firearm is a misdemeanor. The penalties can include upward to:

6 months in jail, and/or
$1,000 in fines.

Legal References: