"As of January 1, 2001, no handgun may be manufactured within California, imported into California for sale, lent, given, kept for sale, or offered/exposed for sale unless that handgun model has passed firing, safety, and drop tests and is certified for sale in California by the California Department of Justice. Private party transfers, curio/relic handguns, certain single-action revolvers, and pawn/consignment returns are exempt from this requirement."
Essentially, The State of California Department of Justice roster of Handguns Certified for Sale is a certified list of handguns on the California Department of Justice's website that specifies what handguns can be manufactured in California, imported to California, sold in California, purchased in California, or lent to someone in California. It is a comprehensive selection of handguns that comply with California's laws and policies. It also details what changes or modifications can be made to certain firearms without causing them to violate the manufacturing portion of these regulations.
To view the actual roster, and to see the detailed list of handguns approved by the State of California please visit the State of California Department of Justice Handguns Certified for Sale. To access it now, simply right-click on the following and select the open link in a new window: Handguns Certified for Sale.
Helpful Hints:
- You can search the handgun roster by the manufacturer using the drop-down menu.
- Below the manufacturer drop-down menu, you will see the following headings: Manufacturer, Model, Gun Type, Barrel Length, Caliber, and Expired Date. You can search by any of those headings by simply clicking on the heading itself. (For instance, to search by caliber, click on the word Caliber. Typically the results will come up from the lowest to the highest by digits. i.e. .17 HMR to 9mm. Click on Caliber again and the search will come up in reverse order. i.e. 9mm - .17 HMR. The same idea works on all of the headings...the results will be shown in reverse order if you click on the heading a second time. Click on Manufacturer, and you'll see the results listed in alphabetical order from A to W. Click Manufacturer again, and the results will show beginning with W and working their way back to the As's. This can especially be helpful if you are looking for a particular caliber or barrel length.
- The manufacturer part number for the handgun you are interested in tends to be the most powerful way to find the exact firearm you are looking for. You can type it into the Search box just to the left of the Manufacturer drop-down menu. As you type the manufacturer's part number in, handguns will start to be eliminated until it gets to the one you are looking for...provided it is on the roster. If you don't see it, chances are the firearm is not approved for residents of California.
- If you feel like the handgun you want to purchase is legal in California, but you cannot find it on the roster, we recommend you contact the FFL (Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer) you were planning to have us ship it to. They should know whether or not they can legally transfer a particular handgun to you if you purchase it.
Note: Additional information about owning a firearm in California can be found in the right column of the State of California Department of Justice Handguns Certified for Sale roster webpage. Click on any of the many links under the heading Bureau of Firearms to learn more.