Gun Laws
Safe Guns in Safe Places for Safe Families
There are laws restricting gifting or selling a gun.
In California, it is generally illegal for any private party to sell or transfer a firearm to another private party. Only a firearms dealer licensed by the state can conduct a firearm transfer between two people. If you wish to gift or sell a firearm to another person, a licensed California firearms dealership must act as an intermediary.
There are laws restricting receiving / buying a gun.
If you wish to buy a firearm, there is a mandatory ten day waiting period in the state of California. The Department of Justice uses this waiting period to determine if you are legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm. You must also have a valid driver’s license or identification card from the State of California.
There are laws restricting borrowing a gun.
It is usually illegal to loan another person a gun in California. The only allowable case is infrequent transfer of a firearm between immediate family members. For this purpose, immediately family members include parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren, but not siblings. It is illegal to loan a firearm to a person under the age of 18.
There are laws restricting transporting a gun.
According to California gun laws, as long as you are in lawful possession of a handgun, it is legal to transport it in a vehicle providing it is unloaded and in a locked container. The container must be secured and not easily accessible. This includes the trunk of a car but not the glove compartment. A long arm, such as a rifle or shotgun, does not need to be secured in a locked container, but must be unloaded.
There are laws restricting storing a gun in your own home.
If you have a firearm in your home which is not secured, and a child is present, you may be guilty of criminal storage of a firearm. While it is legal to have a loaded firearm in your home, if anyone under the age of 18 can access it you are in violation of the law. The firearm must be kept in a locked container or fitted with a safety device that prevents it from firing.
There are laws restricting ammunition.
Ammunition is governed by many of the same laws as firearms. All ammunition must be purchased from a licensed dealer. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be in possession of live ammunition unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
What Our Clients Are Saying
My son inherited 4 guns from his father, 2 handguns and 2 AR’s. While he had been out shooting with his father, he didn’t know much more about them or the laws surrounding owning the guns. I reached out to Jeff McCabe to see if he could help us. Jeff researched to make sure that my son could legally own the guns, he showed him how to take them apart, clean them and put them back together. Jeff also went over the proper way to store and transport the guns. Most importantly he went over my son’s responsibilities as a gun owner. Jeff let my son know there was always an open door if he ever needed help in the future. I truly appreciate Jeff’s knowledge and the time he took to help us.
-Anna & Christian, Rancho Santa Margarita
Five years ago, I found myself suddenly raising my 18-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter on my own. My husband of 21 years passed away unexpectedly, and now I was solely responsible on all decisions when it came to my children who still lived at home. Aside from getting through the obvious, I was concerned with the firearms my husband had stored in our home. I wasn’t sure how to handle the two hand guns and three shotguns that were used for recreational use by my husband. I was worried that my son or his friends may have interest in them and did not want any “accidents” happening. I then turned to Jeff McCabe for his advice as he came highly recommended. Jeff then educated my children and I on the safety of guns, how to handle them, store them and transport them. He also took the time to show my son how to load, unload and clean them. He advised me to purchase a gun safe, in which I did, and he installed it for me. One of the guns had become illegal with recent law changes and Jeff altered it to make sure it was compliant with California Laws. He also encouraged my son to take a safety class, which he has recently signed up for. I now feel safe and comfortable with having the firearms in my home, knowing my children and I have now been educated on safe handling; I owe that to Jeff McCabe. If I ever should need help in the future, I would seek Jeff’s expertise again.
-Roxanne Clawson, Orange
There are many things to deal with when a loved one dies. In 2010, when cleaning out my husbands closet, I came across several of his guns. I didn’t want to keep them and was unsure what to do with them. My daughters didn’t want the guns and I didn’t want to have to deal with hassle of storing them as my grandchildren are often at my house. A friend mentioned I should call Jeff McCabe.
Jeff was very nice, easy to talk with, trustworthy and knowledgeable. He came to my house, checked all the guns to make sure they were unloaded and removed them. Jeff also told me one the guns was a collector’s item and was able to sell it for me. One less thing to worry about. I cannot recommend Jeff enough.
-Rhonda Murphy, San Clemente