Buying a gun in California, step by step

Step by step at a dealer

1. Get your FSC, or have proof of an exemption. You present it when you start the purchase. [DOJ FAQ] How to get your FSC; who is exempt.
2. Be old enough. Purchasers generally must be at least 21, though there are exceptions. [DOJ guide p.31]
3. Bring California ID. You must be a California resident with a valid California driver license or ID card. [DOJ guide p.31] For a handgun, also bring proof of residency: a utility bill from the last three months, a signed residential lease, a property deed, or military permanent duty station orders for California. The address on the DROS must match that document or your license or ID. [DOJ guide pp.31–32]
4. Choose the firearm. A dealer may only sell a handgun whose make and model is on the DOJ’s roster of handguns certified for sale. [DOJ guide p.32]
5. Paperwork and background check. The dealer submits a Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) to the DOJ. Then comes a mandatory 10-day waiting period, during which the DOJ checks you are not prohibited from owning firearms. [DOJ guide p.31]
6. Safe handling demonstration. On or after the day the DROS is submitted and before delivery, you load and unload the firearm with a dummy round in front of a DOJ Certified Instructor. [DOJ guide p.32] The steps.
7. Pick it up with a safety device. Every firearm bought in California must come with a DOJ-approved firearm safety device, unless you sign an affidavit that you own an approved lock box or safe that fits it. [DOJ guide p.32]

Buying from a private person

A sale between two people who aren’t dealers generally has to go through a licensed dealer. You both complete the DROS in person at the dealer, who holds the firearm through the 10-day wait and may charge up to $10 per firearm on top of the state fees. [DOJ guide p.31] Skipping the dealer can be a felony. [DOJ guide p.30]

Getting a firearm from family

An infrequent transfer between parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild, doesn’t have to go through a dealer. Brothers and sisters don’t count. The person receiving the firearm still needs a valid FSC before taking it, and must report the transfer to the DOJ within 30 days. [DOJ guide p.31] [DOJ FAQ]

Which rules apply to which transfer

The study guide’s own table: [DOJ guide p.33]

* The guide notes that federal requirements may apply.

Once it is home

The guide notes that since January 1, 2026, California requires a firearm in a residence to be securely stored with a DOJ-approved safety device or safe whenever it isn’t being carried or kept close enough to keep others from getting to it. [DOJ guide p.27] The storage section of our study guide summary covers the rest.