2019 California Code
Penal Code - PEN
PART 6 - CONTROL OF DEADLY WEAPONS
TITLE 2 - WEAPONS GENERALLY
DIVISION 3.2 - Gun Violence Restraining Orders
CHAPTER 1 - General
Section 18120.
(a) A person subject to a gun violence restraining order issued pursuant to this division shall not have in the person’s custody or control, own, purchase, possess, or receive any firearms or ammunition while that order is in effect.
(b) (1) Upon issuance of a gun violence restraining order issued pursuant to this division, the court shall order the restrained person to surrender all firearms and ammunition in the restrained person’s custody or control, or which the restrained person possesses or owns pursuant to paragraph (2).
(2) The surrender ordered pursuant to paragraph (1) shall occur by immediately surrendering all firearms and ammunition in a safe manner, upon request of any law enforcement officer, to the control of the officer, after being served with the restraining order. A law enforcement officer serving a gun violence restraining order that indicates that the restrained person possesses any firearms or ammunition shall request that all firearms and ammunition be immediately surrendered. Alternatively, if no request is made by a law enforcement officer, the surrender shall occur within 24 hours of being served with the order, by surrendering all firearms and ammunition in a safe manner to the control of the local law enforcement agency, selling all firearms and ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer, or transferring all firearms and ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer in accordance with Section 29830. The law enforcement officer or licensed firearms dealer taking possession of any firearms or ammunition pursuant to this subdivision shall issue a receipt to the person surrendering the firearm or firearms or ammunition or both at the time of surrender. A person ordered to surrender all firearms and ammunition pursuant to this subdivision shall, within 48 hours after being served with the order, do both of the following:
(A) File with the court that issued the gun violence restraining order the original receipt showing all firearms and ammunition have been surrendered to a local law enforcement agency or sold or transferred to a licensed firearms dealer. Failure to timely file a receipt shall constitute a violation of the restraining order.
(B) File a copy of the receipt described in subparagraph (A) with the law enforcement agency that served the gun violence restraining order. Failure to timely file a copy of the receipt shall constitute a violation of the restraining order.
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any firearms or ammunition surrendered to a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency pursuant to this section shall be retained by the law enforcement agency until the expiration of any gun violence restraining order that has been issued against the restrained person. Upon expiration of any order, any firearms or ammunition shall be returned to the restrained person in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 33850) of Division 11 of Title 4. Firearms or ammunition that are not claimed are subject to the requirements of Section 34000.
(2) A restrained person who owns any firearms or ammunition that are in the custody of a law enforcement agency pursuant to this section is entitled to sell any firearms or ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer or transfer any firearms or ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer in accordance with Section 29830, provided that the firearm or firearms or ammunition are otherwise legal to own or possess and the restrained person otherwise has right to title of the firearm or firearms or ammunition.
(d) If a person other than the restrained person claims title to any firearms or ammunition surrendered pursuant to this section, and the person is determined by the law enforcement agency to be the lawful owner of the firearm or firearms or ammunition, the firearm or firearms or ammunition shall be returned to the person pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 33850) of Division 11 of Title 4.
(e) Within one business day of receiving the receipt referred to in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the court that issued the order shall transmit a copy of the receipt to the Department of Justice in a manner and pursuant to a process prescribed by the department.
(f) This section shall become inoperative on September 1, 2020, and, as of January 1, 2021, is repealed.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 724, Sec. 3. (AB 12) Effective January 1, 2020. Inoperative September 1, 2020. Repealed as of January 1, 2021, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 4 of Stats. 2019, Ch. 724.)
