CALIFORNIA COMPLIANCE UPDATE
“Machinegun-Convertible” Pistol, Firearm Accessory and Barrel Sales Restrictions

NSSF^® is sending this update to provide members with additional helpful information regarding recent updates to California laws related to the sale and transfer of certain firearm-related products.

Last year, the California legislature passed AB 1263, AB 1127, and SB 704, which implement additional restrictions and requirements on the sale of “convertible” pistols, firearm barrels, and other firearm “accessories” and “manufacturing machines.” These new restrictions apply both to sales within California, and online sales to California residents, and are summarized further below.

NSSF members are encouraged to consult with their own legal counsel to review any potential impacts to business operations, and ensure ongoing compliance.

Convertible Pistol Sales Prohibited – Effective 7/1/2026

Starting July 1, 2026, the sale or transfer of “semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols” is prohibited, with limited exceptions for sales to military, law enforcement, other licensees, and private party transfers, along with transfers for repair, safekeeping, or temporary prohibition. Additionally, there is an exception for the sale of inventory acquired by a California dealer prior to January 1, 2026. (Cal Pen Code 27595)

“Semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols” are defined as “any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted by hand or with common household tools . . . into a machinegun by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter as a replacement for the slide’s backplate without any additional engineering, machining, or modification of the pistol’s trigger mechanism.” (Cal Pen Code 16885)

Specifically excluded from this definition are “hammer-fired semiautomatic pistol[s] or striker-fired semiautomatic pistol[s] lacking a cruciform trigger bar which instead [have] a trigger bar that is shielded from interference by a pistol converter.”

California has also expressly added the prevention of installation and use of a pistol converter to its list of “reasonable controls” that industry members must implement under the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act.

Firearm Barrel, Accessory, and Manufacturing Machine Transfer Requirements
Starting January 1, 2026, California has implemented additional requirements that retailers must follow when conducting sales of firearm accessories, manufacturing machines, or barrels. These include the following:

These include the following:

• Retailers must receive acknowledgement from the purchaser of prescribed warnings related to illegal firearm manufacturing practices;
• Retailers must obtain proof of age (18+) and identity from prospective purchasers; • Packages containing such items must be conspicuously labeled with “signature and proof of identification of person aged 18 years or older required for delivery,” and packages may only be shipped to address matching identification provided; and
• Package couriers must obtain proof of identity and signature at point of delivery.

For the purposes of these requirements, the following definitions apply (Cal Civ Code 3273.50):

• “Firearm Accessory” means “an attachment or device designed or adapted to be inserted into, affixed onto, or used in conjunction with a firearm that is designed, intended, or functions to increase a firearm’s rate of fire or to increase the speed at which a person may reload a firearm or replace the magazine, or any other attachment or device described in subdivision (a) of Section 30515 of the Penal Code that may render a firearm an assault weapon when inserted into, affixed onto, or used in conjunction with a firearm. The term firearm accessory also includes any other device, tool, kit, part, or parts set that is clearly designed and intended for use in manufacturing firearms.”
• “Firearm manufacturing machine” means “a three-dimensional printer, as defined in Section 29185 of the Penal Code, a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine, or a similar machine, that is marketed or sold as or is reasonably designed or intended to be used to manufacture or produce firearms, firearm components, or firearm accessories.

A provision has also been added, making it unlawful to “knowingly, willfully, or recklessly aid, abet, promote, or facilitate the unlawful manufacture of firearms,” which includes the unlawful manufacture of prohibited items such as “assault” weapons, SBRs, SBSs, machineguns, etc. (Cal Civ Code 3273.625)

Firearm Barrel Face-to-Face Sale and Background Check Requirement

Starting January 1, 2026, firearm barrels sold in California must be transferred in a face-to-face transaction by a licensed firearms dealer, and may not be transferred to persons under 18 years of age. Starting July 1, 2027, dealers will also be required to perform an eligibility check on purchasers, similar to California’s requirements for ammunition sales. Exceptions apply for transfers to military, law enforcement, and other licensees. (Cal Pen Code 33700)

For the purposes of this requirement, California includes within the definition of firearm barrel “any forging, casting, printing, extrusion, machined body, or similar article that has reached a stage of manufacture where it may readily be completed, assembled, or converted to be used as a firearm barrel, or that is marketed or sold to the public to become or be used as a firearm barrel once completed, assembled, or converted.” (Cal Pen Code 16525)