Firearms: safety certificates
Not law yet. Enrolled — not chaptered.
Official status checked 2026-09-24 12:12 PT
Sen. Arreguín; coauthor Sen. Richardson · Last amended 2026-08-13
Bill summary
Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm to possess a firearm safety certificate.
Existing law also prohibits a person from selling or transferring a firearm to any person who does not possess a firearm safety certificate.
A violation of either of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires a personal firearm importer, within 60 days of bringing any firearm into this state, to, among other things, submit a report including information concerning that individual and a description of the firearm in question to the Department of Justice.
The official digest continues on the official text.
Now vs if chaptered
NOW: enrolled, not law — no new importer crime, no 4-hour FSC course. IF CHAPTERED: delayed importer FSC certification (Jan 1, 2028) and infraction for bringing a firearm in without an FSC within 180 days; 4-hour live-fire FSC course beginning Jan 1, 2029. Existing FSC misdemeanor (§31615(a)(1)-(2)) stays in place unchanged as to purchase/transfer.
Defender utility
Watch only until chaptered. Do not treat SB 948 as the current FSC or importer statute. Existing §31615 misdemeanor (purchase/receive or sell/transfer without FSC) is already law and is not this bill. If the Governor signs: importer FSC-certification and the infraction for late FSC are delayed (180 days / Jan 1, 2028), and the 4-hour live-fire training mandate does not bite until Jan 1, 2029. Dead 2025 sibling AB 1187 (8-hour version) died in Appropriations and is not a substitute card. Challenge posture if chaptered: new training condition on the existing FSC, not a new possessory crime.
Who this is for. PDs and importers — pending FSC-training / importer-certification bill; not a current charge.
Key dates
- Introduced
- 2026-02-02
- Last amended assembly
- 2026-08-13
- Senate concurred enrolled
- 2026-08-25
- Training mandate if chaptered
- 2029-01-01
- Importer fsc cert if chaptered
- 2028-01-01
Exemptions (draft)
Draft training mandate does not apply to valid CCW holders or persons who completed §26165 CCW training within the previous three years. Importer FSC-within-180-days does not apply if the only evidence of violation is a later FSC application or a 27560 compliance filing after the 180 days. Confirm enrolled text for Article 2/3 FSC exemptions.
Penalties (if chaptered)
If chaptered: §31615(a)(3) importer/bring-in without timely FSC is an infraction (not a misdemeanor). Failure to include FSC number or exemption in the 27560 report is punished under that infraction. Perjury exposure on the Jan 1, 2028 certification. Existing (a)(1)-(2) FSC purchase/transfer misdemeanor is current law, not created by this bill.
Bank hints
- Motion Bank: firearm safety certificate / conditions on acquisition
- Do not duplicate dead AB 1187 (8-hour FSC bill died Feb 2026)