How Do You Register An Unregistered Gun

June 5, 2021 update: On June 4, 2021, a federal judge overturned California's ban on assault weapons on the grounds that information technology violates the constitutional correct to bear arms under the Second Amendment. Merely assault weapons remain illegal in California while the state appeals the ruling.

You can annals an unregistered gun in California past completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Written report (FOR) Awarding. This voluntarily declares that you are the owner of the firearm. Withal, this grade cannot be used to register an set on weapon.

A FOR Awarding is not required for most firearms. They will have been registered by the dealer during the sale. However, in that location are reasons to register a firearm on your own. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may be returned to the person listed on the form. If the gun is unregistered, it will not be returned.

Submitting a FOR Awarding could as well lead to legal trouble. You could be accused of possession of an assault weapon. The person who sold or gave you the weapon could besides be charged with illegally transferring a firearm. The grade can be used equally evidence.

man holding revolver

You tin register an unregistered gun in California by filling out and submitting a Firearm Ownership Study (FOR) Application.

What is the Firearm Buying Report Application?

The Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Application is a legal class. Information technology goes to the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The form is too known equally the BOF 4542A. By filling out and submitting the form, yous voluntarily register a firearm. You lot are declared its legal owner.

To fill out the form, you need to provide data about yourself, including:

your personal and contact information,
where y'all were built-in,
citizenship status and identification information, including a copy of your driver'south license or ID card,
Handgun Safety Certificate number, and
any aliases yous are known by.

You lot will also accept to provide information nigh the firearm you are declaring:

whether information technology is a handgun or a long gun, and what type information technology is,
serial number,
make and model,
quotient,
origin,
barrel length,
colour, and
when and how yous acquired it.

There is space for declaring buying of three firearms on each application grade. If y'all want to declare buying of more than 3, you tin can adhere additional copies of the form.

Yous volition have to pay a $nineteen processing fee for each FOR Awarding.

The form can exist mailed to:

Department of Justice
Bureau of Firearms – FOR
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

This form cannot exist used to register an attack weapon. Assault weapons generally cannot be registered in California anymore.

Do I take to file this application?

No, there is no legal requirement that a firearm has to exist registered unless:

the firearm is an assail weapon, or
you lot are moving into California and ain a firearm.

Handguns that were legally bought in California are already registered. They were registered past the dealer. Yous are the registered owner of these firearms. Your data was nerveless during the background check.

Long guns that were legally bought in 2014 or later in California are also registered. Those bought legally before and then may not exist.

Firearm owners moving to California have to register their firearms within 60 days. They use a different grade – the New Resident Firearm Ownership Form.

What are the benefits?

Submitting a FOR Application makes you the official owner of the firearm.

If the firearm is lost or stolen, and so found, information technology will be returned to you. If the gun is not registered, there will be no official owner. It will not be returned to you if it is non registered.

How can I check to run across if my firearms are registered?

You can request a listing of firearms registered in your name. You can get information technology past submitting an Automated Firearms Organisation Records Asking Form.

The form has to be:

signed,
notarized, and
accompanied by a copy of your commuter's license or photo ID.

You can mail the form to:

Section of Justice
Bureau of Firearms
AFS Individual Citizen Request
P.O. Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203

What well-nigh assault weapons?

Assault weapons cannot be registered in California, anymore.

State constabulary ready ownership and registration periods for attack weapons. This included Browning Machine Guns (BMG). All of those registration windows have passed.¹

Can I get in legal problem for filing the grade?

Yeah.

If y'all claim ownership of an assail weapon, or any illegal weapon for that matter, yous could confront charges of illegal possession of a firearm. Assault weapons are illegal to possess in California. Only those that were registered during the registration windows are exempt. If you fill up out a FOR Application list an assault weapon and send information technology to the DOJ, it tin can be used as evidence against yous.

Illegal possession of an assault weapon is a wobbler in California. It tin be prosecuted as a felony or a misdemeanor.

If prosecuted as a misdemeanor, a conviction carries upwardly to:

1 year in jail, and/or
$1,000 in fines.²

If pursued as a felony, the potential jail time is xvi months, ii years, or three years.³

A FOR Application can also be used as evidence of theillegal sale of a firearm. California law requires that all gun sales exist completed through a licensed dealer.⁴ The FOR Awarding asks how you obtained the weapon. The answer may be used as show that you lot got the gun illegally. The person who sold or transferred the gun could be charged with a crime.

Illegally selling a firearm is a misdemeanor. The penalties can include up to: