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LAWS GOVERNING Licensed manufacturers of ghost gun kits and components

California law requires federally licensed firearm manufacturers to obtain a state license and comply with specified public condom requirements if they manufacture at least 50 firearms in whatsoever calendar twelvemonth in the state.1 For the purposes of this and other laws regulating licensed firearm manufacturers, California law states that the term "firearm" includes the "unfinished frame or receiver of a weapon that tin can exist readily converted to the functional condition of a finished frame or receiver."2 As a result, federally licensed manufacturers are generally required to obtain a state license, and comply, among other things, with requirements related to site security, employee groundwork checks, and serialization of all unfinished frames or receivers prior to their sale, if they industry 50 or more completed firearms or unfinished frames or receivers in California in any calendar year.

Laws Governing Self-Assembled Firearms

In 2016, California enacted a law placing new requirements on anyone who manufactures or assembles a firearm or otherwise possesses an unserialized firearm but does not have a valid firearm manufacturer's license. This constabulary became effective in 2018, and requires that:

  • Prior to assembling or manufacturing a firearm from a ghost gun kit or components, a person must employ to the California Department of Justice ("DOJ") for a unique serial number or marker of identification unique to that firearm.3 State police directs DOJ to consequence series numbers to applicants who run into all of the post-obit requirements: (one) have a firearm safety document, (ii) have completed a firearms eligibility background check verifying that they are eligible to possess firearms under both country and federal law, (3) presented proof of age and identity showing they are at least 21 years of historic period, and (4) provided a description of the firearm they intend to industry or get together.4
  • After receiving that serial number from DOJ, the person must engrave or permanently affix the unique series number to their firearm inside 10 days of manufacturing or assembling the firearm.5
  • The individual must provide data most the newly serialized firearm, including the identity of the owner of the firearm, to DOJ.6 Firearms manufactured or assembled pursuant to these provisions are for personal use only and more often than not cannot exist sold or transferred.seven
  • Anyone in possession of an unserialized firearm must apply to the DOJ for a serial number and must serialize the firearm, or must otherwise relinquish the unserialized firearm to law enforcement.eight
  • The police force besides expressly prohibits individuals or companies from knowingly allowing, facilitating, aiding, or abetting the industry or assembly of a firearm past individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under state police force.9
  • In addition, California police does not authorize people to assemble prohibited weapons such as assault weapons, motorcar guns, or handguns that accept not passed testing and certification requirements under California's Dangerous Handgun Human activity consumer condom law.x
    • Note: information technology appears that no retail sellers of ghost gun kits have complied with California'south Unsafe Handgun Human action by submitting their handgun designs for testing and certification by California's Department of Justice. The Dangerous Handgun Human action requires that new handgun models incorporate specified consumer and public rubber features and exist tested by independent laboratories to ensure they can pass bones safety and reliability standards. Information technology is a crime nether California law to manufacture or cause the manufacture of handgun models that have non been tested and certified under this consumer protection law.eleven Run across our Design Safe Standards in California page for a comprehensive discussion of these requirements.

Laws Governing the auction of ghost gun kits and components

Compared to some other states, California constabulary has provided dangerously weaker protections regarding the sale of ghost gun components, contributing to a dangerous, exploding market for these products within the state. This is a particularly attractive source of weaponry for people who know they would not pass the groundwork check required to acquire completed firearms in California or who wish to conceal their interest in gun trafficking or other illegal activities.

In 2019, California acted to accost this growing threat to public safe by enacting legislation that volition, when implemented, begin to meaningfully regulate the sale of unfinished firearm frames and receivers.12 (This legislation was originally fix to go into total effect in July 2025, simply California passed a law in 2020 to expedite implementation of most of these new requirements to July one, 2022).13

One time in effect, this constabulary will treat the sale of unfinished frames and receivers (defined as "firearm precursor parts") in a way similar to the sale of armament under California law by requiring:

  • Sellers of firearm precursor parts to obtain a country business organization license (called a "firearm precursor office vendor license") in order to sell more than than one precursor function in any 30-solar day period;14
  • The sale of forerunner parts by whatsoever party to be conducted in-person through licensed precursor role vendors, pursuant to a background check and sale tape;xv
  • Licensed precursor office vendors to comply with other public safety laws similar to those governing firearm dealers and ammunition vendors under California constabulary, including ensuring employees who handle firearm precursor parts regularly pass background checks and restrictions on trafficking of firearm precursor parts or delivery of such products to minors under 21 or to other people who are ineligible to receive them.sixteen

    Annotation that federal law may provide stronger protections and requirements on sellers of ghost gun kits and components by defining as a firearm any weapon which may be readily converted to fire ammunition, or the frame or receiver of any such weapon. 17

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  1. Cal. Penal Lawmaking § 29010.[↩]
  2. Cal. Penal Code § 16520(yard).[↩]
  3. Cal. Penal Code §§ 29180(b)(1); 29182.[↩]
  4. Cal. Penal Code §§ 29182(b).[↩]
  5. Cal. Penal Code §§ 29180(b)(1); 29180(b)(two)(A). If the firearm is made from plastic, the serial number must be engraved or affixed on a slice of metallic big plenty to be detected by metallic detectors and embedded within the plastic. Cal. Penal Code § 29180(b)(2)(B).[↩]
  6. Cal. Penal Code. § 29180(b)(3).[↩]
  7. Cal. Penal Lawmaking § 29180(d).[↩]
  8. Cal. Penal Code § 29180(c).[↩]
  9. Cal. Penal Lawmaking § 29180(f).[↩]
  10. Cal. Penal Code § 29182(due east).[↩]
  11. Cal. Penal Code § 32000(a).[↩]
  12. See 2019 CA AB 879.[↩]
  13. 2019 CA SB 118, Sec. 21 – 37.[↩]
  14. Cal. Penal Code §§ 30442; 30485; 16532[↩]
  15. Cal. Penal Lawmaking §§ 30412; 30414; 30452[↩]
  16. Encounter Cal. Penal Code §§ 30400 – 30495.[↩]
  17. Run into 18 U.S.C § 921(a)(3).[↩]