Red Flag Law and Weapon Limits in California
Whether California has a red flag (extreme risk) law and any limits on assault weapons or magazine capacity.
Short answer: Yes: the gun violence restraining order (GVRO), which can stop someone from having, owning, buying or receiving firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, magazines or body armor. Who may ask: a law enforcement officer or agency; Cal. Pen. Code §§ 18100-18205; California Courts Self-Help Guide, Gun Violence Restraining Orders
| Red flag law | Yes: the gun violence restraining order (GVRO), which can stop someone from having, owning, buying or receiving firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, magazines or body armor. Who may ask: a law enforcement officer or agency; an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or anyone who regularly lives with the person now or did in the last 6 months); the person's employer; a co-worker with regular contact who has worked with the person for at least a year and has the employer's permission; and an employee or teacher at a school the person attended in the last six months, with an administrator's or supervisor's permission. After a court hearing, an order 'can last up to 5 years'; temporary and emergency orders are short-term. Court process page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/GV-restraining-order/process |
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| Assault weapons and magazine limits | Assault weapons are banned unless registered during closed registration periods. California law has three categories: firearms on the original Roberti-Roos list, AK and AR-15 series weapons, and firearms with specified generic characteristics ('SB 23 assault weapons'); .50 BMG rifles are also regulated. Registration periods have ended, registered weapons may not be sold or transferred to family members, and inherited ones must be disposed of within 90 days. Large-capacity magazines (able to accept more than 10 rounds): it is generally illegal to buy, manufacture, import, keep for sale, expose for sale, give or lend them; continued possession of magazines owned in California before January 1, 2000 is legal for people not otherwise prohibited. Magazine rule: https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/pubfaqs. The status of federal court challenges (e.g. Duncan v. Bonta on magazines, Miller v. |
More California gun laws
- Concealed Carry in California
- Open Carry in California
- Buying a Gun in California
- All California gun laws rules
FAQ
Does California have a red flag law?
Yes: the gun violence restraining order (GVRO), which can stop someone from having, owning, buying or receiving firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, magazines or body armor. Who may ask: a law enforcement officer or agency; an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or anyone who regularly lives with the person now or did in the last 6 months); the person's employer; a co-worker with regular contact who has worked with the person for at least a year and has the employer's permission; and an employee or teacher at a school the person attended in the last six months, with an administrator's or supervisor's permission. After a court hearing, an order 'can last up to 5 years'; temporary and emergency orders are short-term.
Does California ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines?
Assault weapons are banned unless registered during closed registration periods. California law has three categories: firearms on the original Roberti-Roos list, AK and AR-15 series weapons, and firearms with specified generic characteristics ('SB 23 assault weapons'); .50 BMG rifles are also regulated. Registration periods have ended, registered weapons may not be sold or transferred to family members, and inherited ones must be disposed of within 90 days. Large-capacity magazines (able to accept more than 10 rounds): it is generally illegal to buy, manufacture, import, keep for sale, expose for sale, give or lend them; continued possession of magazines owned in California before January 1, 2000 is legal for people not otherwise prohibited.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.