Illegal Firearm Possession
California has complex firearm possession laws, and state and federal laws both carry steep fines and the possibility of jail time for certain infractions. California law bans much more than just certain firearms, with certain ammunition and gun paraphernalia being banned as well. Sorting through what is legal and what is not can be quite confusing, especially as some cities have taken steps to ban specific things within those cities.
Understanding Gun Laws
The laws governing gun possession in California are complex and cannot be fully covered in this article. However, some basic facts about gun laws in California include:
- Many assault weapons are banned under the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989. This law banned more than fifty specific assault weapons, and also included bans on certain characteristics of assault weapons.
- Any gun in the AK or AR-15 series is considered to be an assault weapon, regardless of manufacturer, and these are banned.
- There is a ban on selling all .50BMG caliber rifles in the state.
- Although it is possible to receive a concealed weapon license, these are difficult to obtain in many parts of the state.
The laws governing firearm possession in California is even more complex because of the fact that many of the bans on firearms include grandfather clauses, allowing individuals who owned banned guns before these laws were passed to register them afterward.
Contact Us
If you are facing charges related to some type of illegal firearm possession, you need a qualified and dedicated defense attorney on your side. Call the San Jose criminal defense lawyers at the Law Office of Daniel Jensen, P.C., at 408-296-4100 today.
