2023 California Code › Penal Code - PEN › PART 6 - CONTROL OF DEADLY WEAPONS › TITLE 4 - FIREARMS › DIVISION 9 - SPECIAL FIREARM RULES RELATING TO PARTICULAR PERSONS › CHAPTER 2 - Person Convicted of Specified Offense, Addicted to Narcotic, or Subject to Court Order › ARTICLE 1 - Prohibitions on Firearm Access › Section 29810.

29810. (a) (1) Upon conviction of any offense that renders a person subject to Section 29800, 29805, or 29815, the person shall relinquish all firearms they own, possess, or have under their custody or control in the manner provided in this section within 48 hours of the conviction if the defendant remains out of custody or within 14 days of the conviction if the defendant is in custody.
(2) The court shall, upon conviction of a defendant for an offense described in subdivision (a), instruct the defendant that they are prohibited from owning, purchasing, receiving, possessing, or having under their custody or control, any firearms, ammunition, and ammunition feeding devices, including, but not limited to, magazines, and shall order the defendant to relinquish all firearms in the manner provided in this section. The court shall also provide the defendant with a Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form developed by the Department of Justice.
(3) Using the Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form, the defendant shall name a designee and grant the designee power of attorney for the purpose of transferring or disposing of any firearms. The designee shall be either a local law enforcement agency or a consenting third party who is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The designee shall, within the time periods specified in subdivisions (d) and (e), surrender the firearms to the control of a local law enforcement agency, sell the firearms to a licensed firearms dealer, or transfer the firearms for storage to a firearms dealer pursuant to Section 29830.
(b) The Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form shall do all of the following:
(1) Inform the defendant that they are prohibited from owning, purchasing, receiving, possessing, or having under their custody or control, any firearms, ammunition, and, if applicable, ammunition feeding devices, including, but not limited to, magazines, and that they shall relinquish all firearms through a designee within the time periods set forth in subdivision (d) or (e) by surrendering the firearms to the control of a local law enforcement agency, selling the firearms to a licensed firearms dealer, or transferring the firearms for storage to a firearms dealer pursuant to Section 29830.
(2) Inform the defendant that any cohabitant of the defendant who owns firearms must store those firearms in accordance with Section 25135.
(3) Require the defendant to declare any firearms that they owned, possessed, or had under their custody or control at the time of their conviction, and require the defendant to describe the firearms and provide all reasonably available information about the location of the firearms to enable a designee or law enforcement officials to locate the firearms.
(4) Require the defendant to name a designee, if the defendant declares that they owned, possessed, or had under their custody or control any firearms at the time of their conviction, and grant the designee power of attorney for the purpose of transferring or disposing of all firearms.
(5) Require the designee to indicate their consent to the designation and, except a designee that is a law enforcement agency, to declare under penalty of perjury that they are not prohibited from possessing any firearms under state or federal law.
(6) Require the designee to state the date each firearm was relinquished and the name of the party to whom it was relinquished, and to attach receipts from the law enforcement officer or licensed firearms dealer who took possession of the relinquished firearms.
(7) Inform the defendant and the designee of the obligation to submit the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form to the assigned probation officer within the time periods specified in subdivisions (d) and (e).
(c) (1) When a defendant is convicted of an offense described in subdivision (a), the court shall immediately assign the matter to a probation officer to investigate whether the Automated Firearms System or other credible information, such as a police report, reveals that the defendant owns, possesses, or has under their custody or control any firearms. The assigned probation officer shall receive the Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form from the defendant or the defendant’s designee, as applicable, and ensure that the Automated Firearms System has been properly updated to indicate that the defendant has relinquished those firearms.
(2) Prior to final disposition or sentencing in the case, the assigned probation officer shall report to the court and the prosecuting attorney whether the defendant has properly complied with the requirements of this section by relinquishing all firearms identified by the probation officer’s investigation or declared by the defendant on the Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form, and by timely submitting a completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form. The probation officer shall also report to the Department of Justice on a form to be developed by the department whether the Automated Firearms System has been updated to indicate which firearms have been relinquished by the defendant.
(3) If the report of the probation officer does not confirm relinquishment of firearms registered in the defendant’s name, the court shall take one of the following actions:
(A) If the court finds probable cause, after a warrant request has been submitted pursuant to Section 1524, that the defendant has failed to relinquish any firearms as required, the court shall order a search warrant for, and removal of, any firearms at any location where the judge has probable cause to believe the defendant’s firearms are located. The court shall set a court date to confirm relinquishment of all firearms. The search warrant shall be executed within 10 days pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1534.
(B) If the court finds good cause to extend the time for providing proof of relinquishment, the court shall set a court date within 14 days for the defendant to provide proof of relinquishment.
(C) If the court finds additional investigation is needed, the court shall refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney and set a court date within 14 days for status review.
(4) Prior to final disposition or sentencing in the case, the court shall confirm that the defendant has relinquished all firearms as required, and that the court has received a completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form, along with the receipts described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) or paragraph (1) of subdivision (e). The court shall ensure that these findings are included in the abstract of judgment. If necessary to avoid a delay in sentencing, the court may make and enter these findings within 14 days of sentencing.
(5) Failure by a defendant to timely file the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form with the assigned probation officer shall constitute an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100).
(d) The following procedures shall apply to any defendant who is a prohibited person within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) who does not remain in custody at any time within the 48-hour period following conviction:
(1) The designee shall dispose of any firearms the defendant owns, possesses, or has under their custody or control within 48 hours of the conviction by surrendering the firearms to the control of a local law enforcement agency, selling the firearms to a licensed firearms dealer, or transferring the firearms for storage to a firearms dealer pursuant to Section 29830, in accordance with the wishes of the defendant. Any proceeds from the sale of the firearms shall become the property of the defendant. The law enforcement officer or licensed dealer taking possession of any firearms pursuant to this subdivision shall issue a receipt to the designee describing the firearms and listing any serial number or other identification on the firearms at the time of surrender.
(2) If the defendant owns, possesses, or has under their custody or control any firearms to relinquish, the defendant’s designee shall submit the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form to the assigned probation officer within 48 hours following the conviction, along with the receipts described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) showing the defendant’s firearms were surrendered to a local law enforcement agency or sold or transferred to a licensed firearms dealer.
(3) If the defendant does not own, possess, or have under their custody or control any firearms to relinquish, they shall, within 48 hours following conviction, submit the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form to the assigned probation officer, with a statement affirming that they have no firearms to be relinquished.
(e) The following procedures shall apply to any defendant who is a prohibited person within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) who is in custody at any point within the 48-hour period following conviction:
(1) The designee shall dispose of any firearms the defendant owns, possesses, or has under their custody or control within 14 days of the conviction by surrendering the firearms to the control of a local law enforcement agency, selling the firearms to a licensed firearms dealer, or transferring the firearms for storage to a firearms dealer pursuant to Section 29830, in accordance with the wishes of the defendant. Any proceeds from the sale of the firearms shall become the property of the defendant. The law enforcement officer or licensed dealer taking possession of any firearms pursuant to this subdivision shall issue a receipt to the designee describing the firearms and listing any serial number or other identification on the firearms at the time of surrender.
(2) If the defendant owns, possesses, or has under their custody or control any firearms to relinquish, the defendant’s designee shall submit the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form to the assigned probation officer, within 14 days following conviction, along with the receipts described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) showing the defendant’s firearms were surrendered to a local law enforcement agency or sold or transferred to a licensed firearms dealer.
(3) If the defendant does not own, possess, or have under their custody or control any firearms to relinquish, they shall, within 14 days following conviction, submit the completed Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form to the assigned probation officer, with a statement affirming that they have no firearms to be relinquished.
(4) If the defendant is released from custody during the 14 days following conviction and a designee has not yet taken temporary possession of each firearm to be relinquished as described above, the defendant shall, within five days following their release, relinquish each firearm required to be relinquished pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).
(f) For good cause, the court may shorten or enlarge the time periods specified in subdivisions (d) and (e), enlarge the time period specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), or allow an alternative method of relinquishment.
(g) The defendant shall not be subject to prosecution for unlawful possession of any firearms declared on the Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form if the firearms are relinquished as required.
(h) Any firearms that would otherwise be subject to relinquishment by a defendant under this section, but which are lawfully owned by a cohabitant of the defendant, shall be exempt from relinquishment, provided the defendant is notified that the cohabitant must store the firearm in accordance with Section 25135.
(i) A law enforcement agency shall update the Automated Firearms System to reflect any firearms that were relinquished to the agency pursuant to this section. A law enforcement agency shall retain a firearm that was relinquished to the agency pursuant to this section for 30 days after the date the firearm was relinquished. After the 30-day period has expired, the firearm is subject to destruction, retention, or other transfer by the agency, except upon the certificate of a judge of a court of record, or of the district attorney of the county, that the retention of the firearm is necessary or proper to the ends of justice, or if the defendant provides written notice of an intent to appeal a conviction for an offense described in subdivision (a), or if the Automated Firearms System indicates that the firearm was reported lost or stolen by the lawful owner. If the firearm was reported lost or stolen, the firearm shall be restored to the lawful owner, as soon as its use as evidence has been served, upon the lawful owner’s identification of the weapon and proof of ownership, and after the law enforcement agency has complied with Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 33850) of Division 11 of Title 4. The agency shall notify the Department of Justice of the disposition of relinquished firearms pursuant to Section 34010.
(j) A city, county, or city and county, or a state agency may adopt a regulation, ordinance, or resolution imposing a charge equal to its administrative costs relating to the seizure, impounding, storage, or release of a firearm pursuant to Section 33880.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 240, Sec. 3. (AB 732) Effective January 1, 2024.)