Regulations: Verification of Hunting Licenses

Summary:

The Department of Justice (Department) proposes to adopt section 4027 of title 11, division 5, chapter 2 of the California Code of Regulations concerning a dealer’s verification of a purchaser’s hunting license.

Existing law prohibits the sale or transfer of a firearm to any person who does not have a firearm safety certificate or is under 21 years of age. (Pen. Code, §§ 27505, 31615, 31700.)

Existing law allows the sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a firearm, other than a handgun, to or by a person without a firearm safety certificate, but in possession of a valid, unexpired hunting license. (§ 31700, subd. (c).) Existing law also allows the sale or transfer of a firearm, other than a handgun, semiautomatic centerfire rifle, completed frame or receiver, or firearm precursor part, to a person 18 years of age or older who possesses a valid, unexpired hunting license. (§ 27510, subd. (b)(1).)

Effective January 1, 2022, Senate Bill 715 prohibits a dealer from delivering a firearm if the validity of a hunting license cannot be confirmed upon visual inspection. (§ 28215, subd. (a)(5).) The dealer must also record the document number, GO ID, and dates valid listed on the hunting license. (§§ 28210, 28215, subd. (a)(4).) The proposed regulation requires the dealer or salesperson to report this information electronically via the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) Entry System (DES).

NOTE: Regulation documents prepared by the Department may contain markup including underline, strikethrough, or highlight. While these documents are ADA-compliant, upon request, the Department can prepare a more screen reader-friendly version of these documents with annotations that explain the marked changes. Please submit all requests to regulations@doj.ca.gov.

Notice Register Publication Date: April 12, 2024

Status of the Proposal: This rulemaking is undergoing a 45-day public comment period. Any interested person or their authorized representative may submit written comments regarding the proposed regulatory action. The written comment period closes at 5:00 pm on May 29, 2024. All timely comments that specifically pertain to the proposed regulations will be reviewed and responded to by Department staff. Comments may be submitted by mail or email to:

The information below relates to recent rulemaking activity, including links to the regulations text and associated documents. Any person who has submitted a comment regarding a proposed action has the right to request a copy of the Final Statement of Reasons. The Final Statement will also be posted to this webpage upon completion of this rulemaking.

Public Notice and Related Documents

NOTE: This webpage will be deleted 12 months after the rulemaking is completed and the regulation is filed with the Secretary of State.