Firearms Dealer Acquisition System

Welcome to the Firearms Dealer Acquisition System (FDAS)

About the Firearms Dealer Acquisition Reporting System (FDAS)

Senate Bill 449, pdf amended CA Business and Professions Code Section 21628.1 and added Section 21628.2. Effective July 1, 2010, Section 21628.2 requires secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers to electronically report firearms purchased, taken in pawn or accepted for sale on consignment, or accepted for auctioning to the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

To facilitate the new electronic reporting of secondhand/pawned firearms, the Bureau of Firearms (BOF) is introducing a new secure on-line reporting system, known as the Firearms Dealer Acquisition System (FDAS).

This new electronic reporting process only applies to firearms and rescinds, and replaces the existing process of manually completing and mailing the "Pawnbroker/Secondhand Dealer Report" (JUS123) to local law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

For additional information, please refer to the FDAS Information Bulletin 2010-BOF-02 and FDAS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), pdf.

Features and Benefits Associated with FDAS

• Submissions are directly entered into the secure database ensuring there is no delay in reporting by dealers in compliance with State of California reporting requirements.
• Does not require extra equipment or software to use.
• User friendly data entry screen format.
• Prompts user for required information.
• Displays error messages for incomplete or invalid information.
• Preview feature to review report information for accuracy before submitting.
• Edit feature to make changes, before submission, if necessary.

Enrolling and Using FDAS to Electronically Report Firearm Acquisitions

To enroll and use FDAS, secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers must:

1. Be a licensed California firearms dealer pursuant to California Penal Code Section 12071.
2. Possess a valid Secondhand Dealer license issued by their local Chief of Police or Sheriff in accordance with Business and Professional Code Section 21641. Pawnbrokers must be licensed pursuant to California Financial Code Section 21300. Secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers whose license has become expired, canceled or has been revoked will not be able to enroll and use FDAS.
3. Submit to BOF a copy of their valid secondhand dealer or pawnbroker license issued by the LEA with jurisdiction over their dealership.
4. Complete the two-step FDAS enrollment process.
   
   Step 1 - Complete and submit the FDAS Enrollment Application (BOF 937), pdf. BOF will process the application and send you enrollment confirmation via email.
   Step 2 - Go to the FDAS website URL to complete the enrollment process.

Once enrolled, secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers can log into FDAS and, dependent upon their license type, select the type of firearm acquisition transaction (Pawn, Consignment, or Buy) to submit.

For information on how to obtain a secondhand dealer or pawnbroker license, please contact your LEA or visit the Background Check, Frequently Asked Questions on the Attorney General's website.

FDAS Training

FDAS is intended to be user friendly and require little end-user training. If training is desired, contact the BOF Training, Information, and Compliance Section, 916-263-4887. The FDAS FAQs, pdf should also be helpful in responding to questions regarding dealer compliance, the new electronic reporting and the FDAS enrollment process.

FDAS Forms and Publications

• FDAS User Guide, pdf
• FDAS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), pdf
• FDAS Information Bulletin 2010-BOF-02, pdf
• FDAS Enrollment Application (BOF 937), pdf