How to Buy a Gun Online in California

Buying a firearm online is normal in California, but the order does not end at your door. This guide walks through what actually happens between the checkout page and the moment you take the gun home, as of September 2026. General information, not legal advice, and several California rules are in active litigation and can change.

The short version

You order online, we ship the firearm to a licensed California dealer you choose.
The dealer runs the transfer: identification, residency proof, Firearm Safety Certificate, Form 4473 and the Dealer Record of Sale.
You wait ten 24-hour periods from the moment the Department of Justice accepts the DROS.
You return, pass the final checks and collect.

Choosing the California FFL

Any dealer on the Department of Justice centralized list can receive a transfer. Call before you order and ask three things: whether they accept transfers from out-of-state retailers, what their transfer fee is per firearm, and whether they want the paperwork emailed ahead. Dealer transfer fees vary widely, and in the bigger metros they vary street by street. Once the dealer agrees, we ship to them directly, with your name on the invoice inside the box.

What the dealer needs from you

California asks for more at the counter than most states. You will need a valid California driver licence or DMV identification card as proof of identity and age, and a second document showing your current California address. Acceptable second documents include a utility bill dated within the last three months, a signed and dated residential lease, a property deed, or a government-issued licence or permit showing your address, such as a DMV vehicle registration or a hunting licence. Bank statements, mobile phone bills, pay stubs and voter registration cards are not accepted. Every document has to still be valid on the day you collect, which catches people whose utility bill goes stale during the wait.

The Firearm Safety Certificate test

Almost every buyer needs a Firearm Safety Certificate before a dealer can release a firearm. It is a 30-question written test on safe handling, safe storage and California law, you need 23 correct to pass, it costs $25, and it is good for five years. Dealers with a certified instructor administer it on site, and the fee covers two attempts. A current California hunting licence exempts you for rifles and shotguns only, so a hunter buying a handgun still needs the certificate. Peace officers, active-duty military with California duty orders and concealed carry licence holders are also exempt. Take the test before you order if you can, because it is the single most common reason a transfer stalls.

Fees you should expect

The state charges $37.19: a $31.19 DROS fee, a $1.00 Firearms Safety Act fee and a $5.00 safety and enforcement fee. On top of that sits the dealer's own transfer fee, sales tax, and California's 11 percent excise tax on retail sales of firearms, precursor parts and ammunition, which is imposed on the licensed dealer or ammunition vendor and normally appears on the invoice at the counter. There is no separate state charge for the wait itself.

The 10-day wait, precisely

The wait is ten 24-hour periods counted from when the Department of Justice accepts the DROS, not from when you filled in the form and not from when the gun arrived. If the dealer submits at 4pm on the first of the month, the earliest lawful delivery is after 4pm on the eleventh. A concealed carry licence does not shorten it. You have 30 days from submission to take delivery, after which the check expires and a new DROS and a new fee are required.

The 30-day limit

Since April 1, 2026 a dealer may not deliver a firearm if the Department of Justice reports that the purchase would take you past three firearms cumulatively in any 30-day period. This replaced the older one-gun-a-month rule after the Ninth Circuit struck that version down. If you plan to buy several firearms, space the applications or check the exceptions, which include licensed collectors holding a current Certificate of Eligibility and replacing a firearm reported lost or stolen.

What will not ship into California

This is where online orders go wrong. We will not send into California:

A new handgun that is not on the Department of Justice Roster of Certified Handguns. The roster is a live document, currently including models added under a court order in Boland v. Bonta, so check it against the model you want.
A semiautomatic rifle, pistol or shotgun in a configuration that meets California's assault weapon feature test. Featureless and fixed-magazine builds are the two legal paths.
Any magazine that holds more than ten rounds.
Ammunition to a residential address. Ammunition goes to a licensed California ammunition vendor for an in-person eligibility check. See our ammunition guide.

Optics, mounts, slings, cleaning gear, holsters, ten-round magazines and most repair parts ship to your door as normal.

New to California

If you have just moved to the state with firearms, you are treated as a personal firearm importer and have 60 days to report them to the Department of Justice on the New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership, with a $19 fee, or to transfer them through a California dealer. Assault weapons and magazines over ten rounds generally may not be brought in at all.

A realistic timeline

Allow a day or two to line up the dealer, two to five business days for shipping, an hour at the counter for the Firearm Safety Certificate test and the paperwork, then the ten 24-hour periods, then a second short visit to collect. Two to three weeks door to counter is normal. Browse the catalogue in our online shop, or find pickup options by city through our California gun shop pages. For the wider legal picture, read our California gun laws overview. Confirm anything important with the California Department of Justice or an attorney, because the rules above are current only as of September 2026.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.