new california gun laws – los angeles criminal law attorney

New California gun laws for 2016

New gun control measures are constantly being introduced, and being a responsible gun owner means doing your best to keep informed of these developments.

California gun laws are a complex patchwork of state and local legislation that can trip up even the most innocent and law abiding citizen. Although California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, state and local legislators are under both real and imagined pressure to enact even more restrictions. New gun control measures are constantly being introduced, and being a responsible gun owner means doing your best to keep informed of these developments.

Los Angles large capacity magazine ban

Recreational shooters at this range near Los Angeles International Airport must comply with complex gun laws enacted by state and city legislators.

This ban prohibits the possession of any ammunition feeding device – namely pistol and rifle magazines, sometimes mistakenly referred to as clips – capable of accepting more than 10 rounds of ammunition, within the city limits of Los Angeles. Council File 13-0068 went into effect in September of this year, and with a Superior Court judge recently refusing to hear a challenge to the legislation, the city is now beginning to enforce this law.

Unlike most gun laws, this ban does not have a “grandfather” provision. Private citizens who previously lawfully owned 11+ round magazines may no longer possess them within the city of Los Angeles. The city’s intention is that such magazines be surrendered to the Los Angeles Police Department. While it is possible to store magazines outside the city, simply handing them to a friend or family member who lives elsewhere in California for safekeeping could potentially be construed as an unlawful transfer of these magazines, as the sale or transfer of 11+ round magazines was previously restricted by state legislation.

AB 950, storage of guns and ammunition with a firearms dealer

This new California gun law, which becomes effective January 1, 2016, protects the rights of gun owners who are subject to a temporary Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO). The GVRO, created by AB 1014 passed in 2014, originally required a person who was subject to a GVRO to either sell their firearms and ammunition or permanently surrender them to a law enforcement agency. AB 950 provides gun owners with a third option, transferring guns and ammunition to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), who can then hold the items until the restraining order expires, allowing the owner to eventually take their firearms and ammunition back into their possession.

New California gun laws on the horizon for 2016 and beyond

Several proposed California state assembly bills and even a statewide ballot proposition to regulate and restrict ammunition sales are gaining support among gun control proponents. These measures have the potential to make ammunition much more difficult and expensive to purchase. The possibility of a 11+ round magazine ban similar to the one enacted in Los Angeles – requiring all private California citizens who possess such magazines to surrender them to the state – is also being explored.