California adds a 10-year gun ban for a misdemeanor serial-number offense
Sept. 26, 2026 — Californians convicted of a misdemeanor involving guns with altered or removed identifying marks will lose the right to own firearms for 10 years under SB 1220, signed Saturday in Sacramento by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The misdemeanor, as the Legislature's summary describes it, covers altering or removing a gun's maker, model or serial markings, or buying, selling or possessing a gun that has been altered. Felony convictions already bring a lifetime ban. The state Justice Department's list of misdemeanors carrying 10-year bans already includes storing a gun where a child is likely to reach it and possessing a zip gun. Federally, possessing a gun with an obliterated serial number is a crime investigated by the ATF. The change applies to convictions on or after Jan. 1, 2027. The California Police Chiefs Association sponsored the bill; the California Rifle and Pistol Association said the ban goes beyond what public safety requires.
The wall: How many people are convicted of the misdemeanor each year was not found.
Tier: Confirmed
Sources
- SB 1220 bill text (leginfo)
- Sen. Hurtado release
- CA DOJ prohibiting-misdemeanor list
- Ninth Circuit jury instruction, 18 U.S.C. 922(k)
- ATF complaint under 922(k) (example)
- CalMatters
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