In the US, each state has its own rules and legislations with regards to the sale and possessions of firearms, along with all relevant local and federal laws. A lawful gun owner in California must be aware of the appropriate laws pertaining to the responsibilities of owning firearms.
Not all individuals are allowed to possess firearms. People with certain criminal convictions are prohibited to own a firearm, and these include felony offenders, persons with two or more convictions, mentally disordered sex offenders, and those who are mentally incompetent to stand trial. Moreover, convictions under other sections of the California Penal Code can have time limited prohibitions on the possession of firearms. For example, certain misdemeanor crimes have 10-year prohibitions, whereas other crimes (such as those who pose dangers to themselves) have five-year prohibitions.
Moreover, in California you can have a permit to purchase or permit to carry firearms. While persons can acquire permits to purchase rifles and shotguns, they cannot have permits to carry them. In contrast, handguns can be purchased and carried if appropriate permits are received. Furthermore, California is a permit-issuing state and not a recognizing state, like Texas.
Certain firearms, like assault weapons, are illegal to possess, sell, or manufacture. For lawful firearms, the retailer must have a Certificate of Eligibility in order to be licensed to sell firearms. These retailers can only sell to those who are licensed to purchase firearms, have personal identifier information for the Dealer Record of Sale, meet the legal age requirement, and are residents of California. Once all background checks have been completed, the retailer will only provide the firearm after a 10-day mandatory period. If one handgun has already been purchased, the same individual must wait another 30 days before they can purchase another handgun.
While laws regarding firearms in California are vast and comprehensive, the previous information provides a glance at some important rules. Before purchasing a firearm, it is of the utmost importance that the potential owner knows all of the rules for possession.
