Section 33700.
Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 33700.
in effect(a)
(1)
A firearm barrel, as defined in Section 16525, shall not be sold or transferred unless that transaction is completed in person by a firearms dealer licensed pursuant to Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive.
(2)
Commencing July 1, 2027, a firearm barrel, as defined in Section 16525, shall not be sold or transferred unless that
transaction is completed in person by a firearms dealer licensed pursuant to Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive, and the licensed firearms dealer has conducted an eligibility check to determine if that the person is authorized to purchase a firearm barrel under subdivision (b) in a manner prescribed by the
Department of Justice.
(3)
No person shall possess with the intent to sell or offer to sell a firearm barrel in violation of this section.
(b)
A person is authorized to purchase or
otherwise acquire
a firearm barrel if they meet the following criteria:
(1)
They are at least 18 years of age.
(2)
They are not prohibited from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm under state or federal law.
(c)
Commencing July 1, 2027, the licensed firearms dealer shall legibly record all of the following on a form to be prescribed by the
department pertaining to the sale or transfer of the firearm barrel:
(1)
The date of the sale or transfer.
(2)
The purchaser’s or transferee’s driver’s license or other identification number and the state in which it was issued.
(3)
The make, model, and caliber of the firearm that the firearm barrel is designed for or used in.
(4)
The purchaser’s or transferee’s full name.
(5)
The name of the salesperson who processed the sale or transfer.
(6)
The purchaser’s or transferee’s full residential address and telephone
number.
(7)
The purchaser’s or transferee’s date of birth.
(d)
Commencing July 1, 2027, a licensed firearms dealer shall electronically submit to the department the information required by subdivision (c) for all sales and transfers of ownership of a firearm barrel.
(e)
The department is authorized to adopt regulations to implement this act.
(f)
(1)
A first violation of subdivision (a) shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.
(2)
A second violation of subdivision (a) shall be punishable as a misdemeanor by up to one year in jail and a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000).
(3)
A
third violation of subdivision (a), and any subsequent violation thereafter of subdivision (a), shall be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(g)
The following are exempt from the process outlined in this
section:
(1)
Sales or transfers to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
(2)
Sales or transfers to a federal firearms licensee.
(3)
Sales or transfers to the United States military.
(4)
Sales or transfers to a person who, in the same transaction, is separately purchasing a firearm and undergoing a state and federal firearm eligibility check pursuant to Section 28220.
(5)
Sales or transfers to a
federally licensed collector who is acquiring or being loaned the barrel of a firearm that is a curio or relic, as defined in Section 478.11 of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, who has a current certificate of eligibility issued by the department pursuant to Section 26710.
(6)
Transfers to or from the public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, the executor, personal representative, guardian, conservator, or administrator of an estate. Any transfers or sales from these persons to any third party other than law enforcement or a licensed firearms dealer shall be conducted by a
licensed firearms dealer and is subject to the requirements of this section.
(7)
A barrel that is attached to or affixed to a firearm.
(8)
The sale or other transfer of ownership of a firearm barrel if the sale or other transfer of ownership is to an authorized representative of a city, city and county, county, or state government, or of the federal government, and the entity is acquiring the firearm barrel as part of an authorized, voluntary program in which the entity is buying or receiving weapons from private individuals. All such barrels shall be disposed of pursuant to Sections 18000 and 18005.
(h)
The department is authorized to adopt regulations to implement
the provisions of this section.
(i)
The department shall require the licensed firearms dealer to charge each firearm barrel purchaser or transferee a fee of up to 5 dollars ($5) to conduct the eligibility check described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), but shall not to exceed the department’s actual processing costs. The fee may be increased each year by an amount not to exceed one dollar ($1) as necessary to reimburse the department for costs to conduct the eligibility check.
References
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 16525.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 26700.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 1170.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 28220.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 478.11.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 26710.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 18000.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026