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2007 Dangerous Weapons Control Law
12087 thru 12088.9 Firearms Safety Devices
ARTICLE 4.5. FIREARMS SAFETY DEVICES
12087. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Aroner-Scott-Hayden
Firearms Safety Act of 1999."
12087.5. The Legislature makes the following findings: (a) In the years 1987 to
1996, nearly 2,200 children in the United States under the age of 15 years died in
unintentional shootings. In 1996 alone, 138 children were shot and killed
unintentionally. Thus, more than 11 children every month, or one child every three
days, were shot or killed unintentionally in firearms-related incidents. (b) The United
States leads the industrialized world in the rates of children and youth lost to
unintentional, firearms-related deaths. A 1997 study from the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reveals that for unintentional firearm-related deaths
for children under the age of 15, the rate in the United States was nine times higher
than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (c) While the number of
unintentional deaths from firearms is an unacceptable toll on America's children, nearly
eight times that number are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms each year for
nonfatal unintentional gunshot wounds. (d) A study of unintentional firearm deaths
among children in California found that unintentional gunshot wounds most often
involve handguns. (e) A study in the December 1995 issue of the Archives of Pediatric
and Adolescent Medicine found that children as young as three years old are strong
enough to fire most commercially available handguns. The study revealed that 25
percent of three to four year olds and 70 percent of five to six year olds had sufficient
finger strength to fire 59 (92 percent) of the 64 commonly available handguns
referenced in the study. (f) The Government Accounting Office (GAO), in its March
1991 study, "Accidental Shootings: Many Deaths and Injuries Caused by Firearms
Could be Prevented," estimates that 31 percent of accidental deaths caused by
firearms might be prevented by the addition of two safety devices: a child-resistant
safety device that automatically engages and a device that indicates whether the gun
is loaded. According to the study results, of the 107 unintentional firearms-related
fatalities the GAO examined for the calendar years 1988 and 1989, 8 percent could
have been prevented had the firearm been equipped with a child-resistant safety
device. This 8 percent represents instances in which children under the age of six
unintentionally shot and killed themselves or other persons. (g) Currently, firearms are
the only products manufactured in the United Stated that are not subject to minimum
safety standards. (h) A 1997 public opinion poll conducted by the National Opinion
Research Center at the University of Chicago in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins
Center for Gun Policy and Research found that 74 percent of Americans support safety
regulation of the firearms industry. (i) Some currently available trigger locks and other
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similar devices are inadequate to prevent the accidental discharge of the firearms to
which they are attached, or to prevent children from gaining access to the firearm.
12087.6. As used in this article: (a) "Firearms safety device" means a device other
than a gun safe that locks and is designed to prevent children and unauthorized users
from firing a firearm. The device may be installed on a firearm, be incorporated into
the design of the firearm, or prevent access to the firearm. (b) "Gun safe" means a
locking container that fully contains and secures one or more firearms, and that meets
the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2. (c) "Long-gun safe"
means a locking container designed to fully contain and secure a rifle as defined in
paragraph (20) of subdivision (c) of Section 12020 or a shotgun as defined in
paragraph (21) of subdivision (c) of Section 12020, that has a locking system
consisting of either a mechanical combination lock or an electronic combination lock
that has at least 1,000 possible unique combinations consisting of a minimum of three
numbers, letters, or symbols per combination, and that is not listed on the roster
maintained pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 12088.
12088. (a) The Department of Justice shall certify laboratories to verify compliance
with standards for firearms safety devices set forth in Section 12088.2. (b) The
Department of Justice may charge any laboratory that is seeking certification to test
firearms safety devices a fee not exceeding the costs of certification, including costs
associated with the development and approval of regulations and standards pursuant
to Section 12088.2. (c) The certified laboratory shall, at the manufacturer's or dealer's
expense, test the firearms safety device and submit a copy of the final test report
directly to the Department of Justice along with the firearms safety device. The
department shall notify the manufacturer or dealer of its receipt of the final test report
and the department's determination as to whether the firearms safety device tested
may be sold in this state. (d) On and after July 1, 2001, the Department of Justice
shall compile, publish, and thereafter maintain a roster listing all of the firearms safety
devices that have been tested by a certified testing laboratory, have been determined
to meet the department's standards for firearms safety devices and may be sold in this
state. (e) The roster shall list, for each firearms safety device, the manufacturer,
model number, and model name. (f) The department may randomly retest samples
obtained from sources other than directly from the manufacturer of the firearms safety
device listed on the roster to ensure compliance with the requirements of this article.
(g) Firearms safety devices used for random sample testing and obtained from sources
other than the manufacturer shall be in new, unused condition, and still in the
manufacturer's original and unopened package.
12088.1. (a) All firearms sold or transferred in this state by a licensed firearms
dealer, including private transfers through a dealer, and all firearms manufactured in
this state, shall include or be accompanied by a firearms safety device that is listed on
the Department of Justice's roster of approved firearms safety devices and that is
identified as appropriate for that firearm by reference to either the manufacturer and
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model of the firearm, or to the physical characteristics of the firearm that match those
listed on the roster for use with the device. (b) All firearms sold or transferred in this
state by a licensed firearms dealer, including private transfers through a dealer, and all
firearms manufactured in this state shall be accompanied with warning language or
labels as described in Section 12088.3. (c)(1) All long-gun safes commercially sold or
transferred in this state, or manufactured in this state for sale in this state, that do not
meet the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2 shall be
accompanied by the following warning:
"WARNING: This gun safe does not meet the safety standards for gun safes specified
in California Penal Code Section 12088.2. It does not satisfy the requirements of
Penal Code Section 12088.1, which mandates that all firearms sold in California be
accompanied by a firearms safety device or proof of ownership, as required by law, of
a gun safe that meets the Section 12088.2 minimum safety standards developed by
the California Attorney General."
(2) This warning shall be conspicuously displayed in its entirety on the principal display
panel of the gun safe's package, on any descriptive materials that accompany the gun
safe, and on a label affixed to the front of the gun safe. (3) This warning shall be
displayed in both English and Spanish in conspicuous and legible type in contrast by
typography, layout, or color with other printed matter on the package or descriptive
materials in a manner consistent with Part 1500.121 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, or successor regulations thereto. (d) The sale or transfer of a firearm shall
be exempt from subdivision (a) if both of the following apply: (1) The purchaser or
transferee owns a gun safe that meets the standards set forth in Section 12088.2. Gun
safes shall not be required to be tested, and therefore may meet the standards without
appearing on the Department of Justice roster. (2) The purchaser or transferee
presents an original receipt for purchase of the gun safe, or other proof of purchase or
ownership of the gun safe as authorized by the Attorney General, to the firearms
dealer. The dealer shall maintain a copy of this receipt or proof of purchase with the
dealers' record of sales of firearms. (e) The sale or transfer of a firearm shall be
exempt from subdivision (a) if all of the following apply: (1) The purchaser or
transferee purchases an approved safety device no more than 30 days prior to the day
the purchaser or transferee takes possession of the firearm. (2) The purchaser or
transferee presents the approved safety device to the firearms dealer when picking up
the firearm. (3) The purchaser or transferee presents an original receipt to the
firearms dealer which shows the date of purchase, the name, and the model number of
the safety device. (4) The firearms dealer verifies that the requirements in (1) to (3),
inclusive, have been satisfied. (5) The firearms dealer maintains a copy of the receipt
along with the dealers' record of sales of firearms.
12088.15. (a) No person shall keep for commercial sale, offer, or expose for
commercial sale, or commercially sell any firearms safety device that is not listed on
the roster maintained pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 12088, or that does not
comply with the standards for firearms safety devices adopted pursuant to Section
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12088.2. (b) No person may distribute as part of an organized firearm safety program,
with or without consideration, any firearm safety device that is not listed on the roster
maintained pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 12088 or does not comply with the
standards for firearms safety devices adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2. (c) No
long-gun safe may be manufactured in this state for sale in this state that does not
comply with the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2, unless
the long-gun safe is labeled by the manufacturer consistent with the requirements of
Section 12088.1. (d)(1) Any person who keeps for commercial sale, offers, or exposes
for commercial sale, or who commercially sells a long-gun safe that does not comply
with the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2, and who knows
or has reason to know, that the long-gun safe in question does not meet the standards
for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2, is in violation of this section, and
is punishable as provided in subdivision (e), unless the long-gun safe is labeled
pursuant to Section 12088.1. (2) Any person who keeps for commercial sale, offers, or
exposes for commercial sale, or who commercially sells a long-gun safe that does not
comply with the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 12088.2, and
who removes or causes to be removed from the long-gun safe, the label required
pursuant to Section 12088.1, is in violation of this section, and is punishable as
provided in subdivision (e). (e) A violation of this section is punishable by a civil fine of
up to five hundred dollars ($500). A second violation of this section that occurs within
five years of the date of a previous offense is punishable by a civil fine of up to one
thousand dollars ($1,000) and, if the violation is committed by a licensed firearms
dealer, the dealer shall be ineligible to sell firearms in this state for 30 days. A third or
subsequent violation that occurs within five years of two or more previous offenses is
punishable by a civil fine of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) and, if the violation is
committed by a licensed firearms dealer, the firearms dealer shall be permanently
ineligible to sell firearms in this state. (f) The Attorney General, a district attorney, or a
city attorney may bring a civil action for a violation of the provisions of this section.
12088.2. (a) No later than January 1, 2000, the Attorney General shall commence
development of regulations to implement a minimum safety standard for firearms
safety devices and gun safes to significantly reduce the risk of firearms-related injuries
to children 17 years of age and younger. The final standard shall do all of the
following: (1) Address the risk of injury from unintentional gunshot wounds. (2)
Address the risk of injury from self-inflicted gunshot wounds by unauthorized users.
(3) Include provisions to ensure that all firearms safety devices and gun safes are
reusable and of adequate quality and construction to prevent children and
unauthorized users from firing the firearm and to ensure that these devices cannot be
readily removed from the firearm or that the firearm cannot be readily removed from
the gun safe except by an authorized user utilizing the key, combination, or other
method of access intended by the manufacturer of the device. (4) Include additional
provisions as appropriate. (b) The Attorney General may consult, for the purposes of
guidance in development of the standards, test protocols such as those described in
Title 16 (commencing with Part 1700) of the Code of Federal Regulations, relating to
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poison prevention packaging standards. These protocols may be consulted to provide
suggestions for potential methods to utilize in developing standards and shall serve as
guidance only. The Attorney General shall also give appropriate consideration to the
use of devices that are not detachable, but are permanently installed and incorporated
into the design of a firearm. The Attorney General shall adopt and issue regulations
implementing a final standard not later than January 1, 2001. The Attorney General
shall report to the Legislature on these standards by January 1, 2001. The final
standard shall be effective January 1, 2002.
12088.3. (a) The packaging of any firearm and any descriptive materials that
accompany any firearm sold or transferred in this state, or delivered for sale in this
state, by any licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer, shall bear a label containing
the following warning statement:
WARNING
Children are attracted to and can operate firearms that can cause severe injuries or
death.
Prevent child access by always keeping guns locked away and unloaded when not in
use. If you keep a loaded firearm where a child obtains and improperly uses it, you
may be fined or sent to prison.
A yellow triangle containing an exclamation mark shall appear immediately before the
word "Warning" on the label. (b) If the firearm is sold or transferred without
accompanying packaging, the warning label or notice shall be affixed to the firearm
itself by a method to be prescribed by regulation of the Attorney General. (c) The
warning statement required under subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be: (1) Displayed in
its entirety on the principal display panel of the firearm's package, and on any
descriptive materials that accompany the firearm. (2) Displayed in both English and
Spanish in conspicuous and legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color
with other printed matter on that package or descriptive materials in a manner
consistent with Part 1500.121 of Title 16, of the Code of Federal Regulations, or
successor regulations thereto.
12088.4. If at any time the Attorney General determines that a gun safe or
firearms safety device subject to the provisions of this article and sold after January 1,
2002, does not conform with the standards required by subdivision (a) of Section
12088.1 or Section 12088.2, the Attorney General may order the recall and
replacement of the gun safe or firearms safety device, or order that the gun safe or
firearm safety device be brought into conformity with those requirements. If the
firearms safety device cannot be separated from the firearm without damaging the
firearm, the Attorney General may order the recall and replacement of the firearm. If
the firearms safety device can be separated and reattached to the firearm without
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damaging the firearm, the licensed manufacturer or licensed firearms dealer shall
immediately provide a conforming replacement as instructed by the Attorney General.
12088.5. Each lead law enforcement agency investigating an incident shall report to
the State Department of Health Services any information obtained that reasonably
supports the conclusion that: (a) A child 18 years of age or younger suffered an
unintentional or self-inflicted gunshot wound inflicted by a firearm that was sold or
transferred in this state, or manufactured in this state. (b) Whether as a result of that
incident the child died, suffered serious injury, or was treated for an injury by a
medical professional.
12088.6. Any violation of Section 12088.1 or Section 12088.3 is punishable by a
fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000). On the second violation of any of those sections,
the licensed firearm manufacturer shall be ineligible to manufacture, or the licensed
firearm dealer shall be ineligible to sell, firearms in this state for 30 days, and shall be
punished by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000). On the third violation of any of
those sections, a firearm manufacturer shall be permanently ineligible to manufacture
firearms in this state. On the third violation of any of those sections, a licensed firearm
dealer shall be permanently ineligible to sell firearms in this state.
12088.7. Compliance with the requirements set forth in this article shall not relieve
any person from liability to any other person as may be imposed pursuant to common
law, statutory law, or local ordinance.
12088.8. (a) This article does not apply to the commerce of any firearm defined as
an "antique firearm" in paragraph (16) of subsection (a) of Section 921 of Title 18 of
the United States Code. (b) This article shall not apply to the commerce of any firearm
intended to be used by a salaried, full-time peace officer as defined in Chapter 4.5
(commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 for purposes of law enforcement.
Nothing in this article shall preclude local governments, local agencies, or state law
enforcement agencies from requiring their peace officers to store their firearms in gun
safes or attach firearms safety devices to those firearms.
12088.9. (a) The Department of Justice may require each dealer to charge each
firearm purchaser or transferee a fee not to exceed one dollar ($1) for each firearm
transaction. The fee shall be for the purpose of supporting department program costs
related to this act, including the establishment, maintenance, and upgrading of related
data base systems and public rosters. (b) There is hereby created within the General
Fund the Firearm Safety Account. Revenue from the fee imposed by subdivision (a)
shall be deposited into the Firearm Safety Account and shall be available for
expenditure by the Department of Justice upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Expenditures from the Firearm Safety Account shall be limited to program
expenditures as defined by subdivision (a).
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