ARTICLE 2. Exceptions Relating to Law Enforcement [26600. - 26625.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 2.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26600. Section 26600.

(a) Section 26500 does not apply to any sale, delivery, or transfer of firearms made to an authorized law enforcement representative of any city, county, city and county, or state, or of the federal government, for exclusive use by that governmental agency if, prior to the sale, delivery, or transfer of these firearms, written authorization from the head of the agency authorizing the transaction is presented to the person from whom the purchase, delivery, or transfer is being made. (b) Proper written authorization is defined as verifiable written certification from the head of the agency by which the purchaser or transferee is employed, identifying the employee as an individual authorized to conduct the transaction, and authorizing the transaction for the exclusive use of the agency by which that person is employed. (c) Within 10 days of the date a handgun, and commencing January 1, 2014, any firearm, is acquired by the agency, a record of the same shall be entered as an institutional weapon into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency. Any agency without access to AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26605. Section 26605.

Section 26500 does not apply to the loan of a firearm if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) The loan is made by an authorized law enforcement representative of a city, county, or city and county, or of the state or federal government. (b) The loan is made to a peace officer employed by that agency and authorized to carry a firearm. (c) The loan is made for the carrying and use of that firearm by that peace officer in the course and scope of the officer’s duties.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26610. Section 26610.

(a) Section 26500 does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm by a law enforcement agency to a peace officer pursuant to Section 10334 of the Public Contract Code. (b) Within 10 days of the date that a handgun, and commencing January 1, 2014, any firearm, is sold, delivered, or transferred pursuant to Section 10334 of the Public Contract Code to that peace officer, the name of the officer and the make, model, serial number, and other identifying characteristics of the firearm being sold, delivered, or transferred shall be entered into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency that sold, delivered, or transferred the firearm, provided, however, that if the firearm is not a handgun and does not have a serial number, identification number, or identification mark assigned to it, that fact shall be noted in AFS. Any agency without access to AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26613. Section 26613.

Section 26500 does not apply to the delivery of a firearm by a law enforcement agency to a dealer in order for that dealer to deliver the firearm to the spouse or domestic partner of a peace officer who died in the line of duty if the sale of that firearm to the spouse or domestic partner is made in accordance with subdivision (d) of Section 10334 of the Public Contract Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26615. Section 26615.

(a) Section 26500 does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm by a law enforcement agency to a retiring peace officer who is authorized to carry a firearm pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 26300) of Division 5. (b) Within 10 days of the date that a handgun, and commencing January 1, 2014, any firearm, is sold, delivered, or transferred to that retiring peace officer, the name of the officer and the make, model, serial number, and other identifying characteristics of the firearm being sold, delivered, or transferred shall be entered into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency that sold, delivered, or transferred the firearm, provided, however, that if the firearm is not a handgun and does not have a serial number, identification number, or identification mark assigned to it, that fact shall be noted in AFS. Any agency without access to AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26620. Section 26620.

Section 26500 does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm when made by an authorized law enforcement representative of a city, county, city and county, or of the state or federal government, if all of the following requirements are met: (a) The sale, delivery, or transfer is made to one of the following: (1) A person licensed pursuant to Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive. (2) A wholesaler. (3) A manufacturer or importer of firearms or ammunition licensed to engage in that business pursuant to Chapter 44 (commencing with Section 921) of Title 18 of the United States Code and the regulations issued pursuant thereto. (b) The sale, delivery, or transfer of the firearm is not subject to the procedures set forth in Section 18000, 18005, 34000, or 34005. (c) If the authorized law enforcement representative sells, delivers, or transfers a firearm that the governmental agency owns to a person licensed pursuant to Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive, within 10 days of the date that the firearm is delivered to that licensee pursuant to this section by that agency, the agency has entered a record of the delivery into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS). Any agency without access to the AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 26625. Section 26625.

Section 26500 does not apply to the loan of a firearm if the loan of the firearm is to a person enrolled in the course of basic training prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or any other course certified by the commission, for purposes of participation in the course.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026