# California Bureau of Firearms

The Bureau of Firearms is a bureau of the Division of Law Enforcement of the California Department of Justice responsible for education, regulation, and enforcement relating to manufacture, sales, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms. The Bureau of Firearms was established in September 1999, originally the Firearms Division, reorganized into the Bureau of Firearms in April 2007.
Bureau of Firearms Chiefs / Directors :
| Last Name | First name | Title | From | To | Entity |
| Mendoza | Allison | Director | 03/02/23 | Present | Bureau of Firearms |
| Mendoza | Allison | Acting Director | 11/1/22 | 03/01/23 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Graham | Blake | Acting Director | 07/18/22 | 10/31/22 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Lopez | Luis E. | Director | 02/17/20 | 08/31/22 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Orick | Brent | Acting Director | 07/09/19 | 02/16/20 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Horan | Martin J. IV | Acting Director | 10/01/18 | 07/08/19 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Caligiuri | Christopher | Acting Director | 06/01/18 | 07/31/18 | Bureau of Firearms |
| UNKNOWN | UNKNOWN | Chief | 05/04/18 | 05/31/18 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Lindley | Stephen | Chief / Director | 07/11 | 05/03/18 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Lindley | Stephen | Acting Chief | 12/09 | 07/11 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Cid | Wilfredo | Chief | 04/07 | 12/09 | Bureau of Firearms |
| Rossi | Randy | Director | 09/99 | 04/07 | Division of Firearms |
Bureau of Firearms Programs and Sections :
| Program | Section | Units | Description |
| Law Enforcement | Firearms Investigations and Dangerous Weapons Enforcement | Investigations and Enforcement | ADD |
| Law Enforcement | Firearms Investigations and Dangerous Weapons Enforcement | Armed and Prohibited Person Teams | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Permit Section | Firearms Permit Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Permit Section | Carry Concealed Weapons Permits Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Record Section | Serial Number Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Record Section | Automated Firearms Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Record Section | Mental Health Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Licensing and Certification of Eligibility Section | Centralized List Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Licensing and Certification of Eligibility Section | Certificate of Eligibility | ADD |
| Regulatory | Licensing and Certification of Eligibility Section | Ammunition Vendor License | ADD |
| Regulatory | Armed and Prohibited Persons Section | Example | Utilizes the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS), a database populated with data from a number of existing DOJ databases, to identify criminals who are prohibited from possessing firearms subsequent to the legal acquisition of firearms or registration of assault weapons. The APPS program is a highly sophisticated investigative tool that provides law enforcement agencies with information about gun owners who are legally prohibited from possessing firearms. |
| Regulatory | Firearm Applicant and Release Section | Phone Resolution Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Applicant and Release Section | Law Enforcement Gun Release Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Firearm Applicant and Release Section | Employment Subsequent Notification Unit | ADD |
| Regulatory | Background Clearance Unit | Example | ADD |
| Regulatory | Training, Information and Compliance Section | N/A | Provides firearms-related instruction and expertise to dealers, law enforcement, superior and juvenile courts, mental health facilities, district attorneys, legislators and the general public and inspects firearms dealerships and manufacturers to ensure compliance with firearms laws and regulations. This section also certifies handgun and firearm safety device testing laboratories and maintains a roster of handguns and firearm safety devices certified for sale in California. |
| Regulatory | Customer Support Center | N/A | ADD |
| Regulatory | Assault Weapon Registration | Team 1 and Team 2 | ADD |
| Special Assignment Section | Reporting and Quality Assurance Section | Dealer Record of Sale Quality Assurance Team | ADD |
| Special Assignment Section | Reporting and Quality Assurance Section | California Reporting Information System Dealer Record of Sale Processing Unit | ADD |
| Special Assignment Section | Technology Support | California Reporting Information System Dealer Record of Sale Processing Unit | ADD |
| Administration and Special Projects Section | N/A | N/A | Provides administrative and special project support to the entire BOF. Section responsibilities include administering the BOF annual budget, analyzing all firearms-related legislation, providing personnel services, maintaining the BOF website and all BOF information technology issues, and providing procurement and contract services. |