CA FFL Laws, dros

It depends on what you buy. The 30 day wait between taking possession only applies to "store" handguns. Long guns, private party transfers, and certain curios are exempted from the 30 day wait. You still have to do the 10 day DROS period though.

If you had to wait until the 9th to start the DROS, that means the 30 day hold (supposed to check to see it its stolen) expires on the 8th. If you bought a consignment gun, demand the DROS will be done as a private party transfer. If done as a PPT, you don't have to wait 30 days to take possession of another handgun.

NEW handguns are 1 per 30 days - full stop. Sacramento will tie your info together from subsequent DROS filings and reject any new DROS before 30 days expires. You'll lose your DROS fee.

If you do a private party transfer of a USED gun, the 30-day rule does not apply.

What's DROS?

You don't want to know It's a CA thing, Dealer Record of Sale. Requires a $25 fee to state for a background check and a 10 day wait to pick up your firearm. It's also a sort of back door handgun registration.

Some(few) exceptions for some guns and C&R FFL holders who jump through CA hoops.

A good dealer will let you DROS a new handgun one minute after the time stamp on the old DROS + 30 days. I've done it plenty of times. At one point in 2006, I had paid handguns backed up 90 days awaiting DROS. The "one handgun a month" thing is also why I go out of my way to find consignments/PPTs.

I'm not from Cali, but I thought technically both parties were supposes to be present for it to go through as a PPT. Am I mistaken?

In CA, a PPT is a FTF transfer between two CA residents facilitated by a CA 01-FFL dealer.

There is one important exception, but it does not apply to the OP. In LA City the law is one handgun every 30 days, period. PPT exemption does not apply there.

I am so glad I moved outta there!

Another thing...

(C&R FFL) 03-FFL + COE (CA DOJ BoF Certificate Of Eligibility) = no 1 handgun transfer every 30 day period on any handgun transfer.

Quiet, if you can find a dealer that will agree to this. A lot of uninformed and scared people out there.

Quiet, if you can find a dealer that will agree to this. A lot of uninformed and scared people out there.

Click to expand...

Kinda hard not to agree when you point out the CA Penal Code that says it's okay.


CA Penal Code 12072(a)
(9)(A) No person shall make an application to purchase more than one pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person within any 30-day period.
(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any of the following:
(ix) Any person who is licensed as a collector pursuant to Chapter 44 (commencing with Section 921) of Title 18 of the United States Code and the regulations issued pursuant thereto and who has a current certificate of eligibility issued to him or her by the Department of Justice pursuant to Section 12071.

You can't force them to do it though. I've seen dealers make up their own rules at their whim many times. Like saying they only do PPT's on weekdays.