Starting this year, 2020, there are four new California gun regulations that were signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. These amendments are:
- Under Senate Bill 61, only Californians age 21 or older will be able to buy semi-automatic rifles. This removes the exemption for 18 to 20-year-olds who were previously allowed to acquire centerfire semi-automatic rifles for hunting. Starting in 2021, all Californians will be limited to buying a maximum of one semi-automatic rifle per month.
- A person who is under a firearms ban in another state outside of California can no longer legally possess a firearm in the state of California. This was made law under Assembly Bill 164 and enacted in response to recent news stories involving violent individuals who were under a temporary restraining order in another state and came to California to commit violent acts with weapons.
- Assembly Bill 12 fine-tunes the red flag statute. This is the process by which a judge can take away the firearms of an individual who is deemed to pose a danger to themselves or others. If a judge agrees, the previous maximum of a one-year gun seizure can be extended annually for up to five years.
- Assembly Bill 61 allows employers, co-workers and teachers to directly ask a judge for gun violence restraining orders against one of their students, employees or coworkers. This changes the previous law which only allowed family members and law enforcement to make such a request.
With the sheer volume of California gun laws, regulations, and new bills being enacted every year, it’s crucial that gun owners in California know their rights and what’s prohibited in the state.
