Frequently Asked Questions

California Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) Program

1. Are there any costs or fees to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from CADOJ Bureau of Firearms via the CFLC program?
2. I am not an FFL but I want to ship a firearm to a California FFL. Do I have to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number before shipping a firearm to California?
3. I am an FFL in California. How does the CFLC program affect me?
4. Are any California FFLs exempt from the CFLC verification approval requirement?
5. I am an FFL located outside of California. I ship/transfer firearms to California FFLs. Am I affected by the CFLC Program?
6. I am an FFL outside of California. I do not intend to ship/transfer firearms to a California FFL. Will I be affected by the CFLC Program?
7. I am an FFL dealer. How do I ship/transfer a firearm to a California FFL? What is the procedure?
8. I do not have Internet access. How do I receive Firearms Shipment Approval numbers?
9. Who obtains the Firearms Shipment Approval numbers, the shipper or the receiver of the firearm?
10. Once I am issued a Firearms Shipment Approval number to ship/transfer a firearm, what do I do with it?
11. Do I need to notify CADOJ Bureau of Firearms if the number of firearms that are shipped changes, or the shipment is cancelled, after a Firearms Shipment Approval number has been issued?
12. I ship/transfer to one specific FFL dealer on a regular basis. Do I need to obtain a new Firearms Shipment Approval number each time I ship firearms to that dealer?
13. My company often ships a large number of firearms in a single drop shipment. Do we need a Firearms Shipment Approval number for each individual firearm, or just one number for the entire shipment?
14. Where should I keep the Firearms Shipment Approval numbers issued to me?
15. I am a California FFL who receives firearm shipments. How long must I retain Firearms Shipment Approval numbers?
16. Where/how can I obtain a copy of the legislation that mandated the CFLC Program?
17. Can I search and retrieve information on a Shipment Verification Approval that I requested?
18. Can I reprint a Firearms Shipment Approval letter?

Back To Top

1. Are there any costs or fees to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from CADOJ Bureau of Firearms via the CFLC program?

   • No. There are no costs or fees associated with the CFLC program.

2. I am not an FFL but I want to ship a firearm to a California FFL. Do I have to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number before shipping a firearm to California?

   • No. The requirement to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number only applies to holders of valid FFLs.

3. I am an FFL in California. How does the CFLC program affect me?

   • If you receive firearms, you must either be listed on the Centralized List of firearms dealers pursuant to Penal Code Section 12071, or the Centralized List of exempted federal firearms licensees permanent to Section 12083. (Pen. Code, § 12083, subd. (c)(1).) Anytime you receive a firearm from an FFL (whether the other FFL is located within, or outside of California) a Firearms Shipment Approval number from the FFL shipper must be included with the firearm. (Pen. Code, § 12070, subd., (f)(1)(A).) If you are not a licensed dealer, but are an FFL on DOJ's Centralized List of exempt FFLs, you must retain each Firearms Shipment Approval number on file for three years. (Pen. Code, § 12083, subd., (d)(1).) When you ship/transfer a firearm to another California FFL, you must obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from the CADOJ Bureau of Firearms. In order to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval numbers, you must enroll in the CFLC program.

Back To Top

4. Are any California FFLs exempt from the CFLC verification approval requirement?

   • Yes. The CFLC program does not apply to FFLs with Type 03 (curio and relic collectors) and Type 06 (ammunition dealers) licenses.

5. I am an FFL located outside of California. I ship/transfer firearms to California FFLs. Am I affected by the California Firearms Licensee Check (CFLC) Program?

   • Yes. You must obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from CADOJ Bureau of Firearms prior to delivering a firearm to a California FFL. Consequently, you will need to enroll in the CFLC program to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval numbers prior to shipping firearms to California.

6. I am an FFL outside of California. I do not intend to ship/transfer firearms to a California FFL. Will I be affected by the CFLC Program?

   • No. If you do not ship or transfer firearms to a California FFL, the CFLC program does not apply to you. If you decide to ship or transfer firearms to a California FFL in the future, you will be able to enroll in the CFLC Program at that time.

Back To Top

7. I am an FFL dealer. How do I ship/transfer a firearm to a California FFL? What is the procedure?

   • In order to enroll in the CFLC Program, go to the CFLC Program website or visit the CA DOJ Bureau of Firearms website for additional information. Once enrolled, you may access the CFLC database 24 hours, 7 days a week. This will allow you to log in with your user ID and password to obtain Firearms Shipment Approval numbers. When you obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number for a firearm shipment, you need to provide the Firearms Shipment Approval number to the receiving California FFL and keep a copy of it for your records.

8. I do not have Internet access. How do I receive Firearms Shipment Approval numbers?

   • You may enroll in the CFLC program by completing and mailing/faxing a CFLC Enrollment Application to the address listed on the application form. Once your application is approved, you will receive a letter with a telephone/fax number that can be used to request Firearms Shipment Approval numbers. However, the service availability is limited to Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

9. Who obtains the Firearms Shipment Approval numbers, the shipper or the receiver of the firearm?

   • The FFL shipping the firearm must obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number from CADOJ Bureau of Firearms. The shipment cannot be legally shipped without a verification approval number. The California FFL who receives the firearm must be on the Centralized List and must keep the Firearms Shipment Approval number on file for three (3) years.

Back To Top

10. Once I am issued a Firearms Shipment Approval number to ship/transfer a firearm, what do I do with it?

    • Firearms Shipment Approval numbers must be provided to the California FFL receiving the firearms shipment. Once obtained, you may provide the number to the receiving FFL via facsimile, telephone, e-mail, or include it on the shipping label. You should also maintain a a copy for your records as well.

11. Do I need to notify CADOJ Bureau of Firearms if the number of firearms that are shipped changes, or the shipment is cancelled after a Firearms Shipment Approval number has been issued?

    • Yes. After logging in to California Firearms License Check (CFLC), you can modify or cancel a Verification Approval that you have requested from the CFLC Application Main Menu page.

      You can also obtain a Firearms Shipment Modification/Cancellation Form on the CADOJ Bureau of Firearms website. If you do not have Internet access, you may contact the CADOJ Bureau of Firearms at the telephone number provided on the CFLC Enrollment Verification Letter. The completed form should be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the contact information listed on the form as soon as possible to enable the CADOJ Bureau of Firearms to reconcile the shipment information upon inspection of the CA FFL's shipment records. If the modification/cancellation form is not completed in a timely manner, the CADOJ Bureau of Firearms may have to contact the FFL shipper to verify the shipment change/cancellation.

Back To Top

12. I ship/transfer to one specific FFL dealer on a regular basis. Do I need to obtain a new Firearms Shipment Approval number each time I ship firearms to that dealer?

    • Yes. A Firearms Shipment Approval number is required for each shipment/transfer of firearms to a California FFL.

13. My company often ships a large number of firearms in a single drop shipment. Do we need a Firearms Shipment Approval number for each individual firearm, or just one number for the entire shipment?

    • Only one Firearms Shipment Approval number is required for each shipment, regardless of how many firearms are in the shipment.

14. Where should I keep the Firearms Shipment Approval numbers issued to me?

    • It is advisable to store the Firearms Shipment Approval numbers with the rest of your FFL related records.

Back To Top

15. I am a California FFL who receives firearm shipments. How long must I retain Firearms Shipment Approval numbers?

    • Firearms Shipment Approval numbers must be retained for three (3) years. (Pen. Code, § 12083, subd. (d)(1).)

16. Where/how can I obtain a copy of the legislation that mandated the CFLC Program?

    • You may obtain a copy of the bill (AB 2521, Chapter 784, Session 2005-2006) from the California State Legislature website or by calling the California Legislative Bill Room at (916) 445-2323.

17. Can I search and retrieve information on a Shipment Verification Approval that I requested?

    • Yes. You can search and retrieve information on a Verification Approval that you have requested from the CFLC Application Main Menu page.

18. Can I reprint a Firearms Shipment Approval letter?

    • Yes, You can reprint the Firearms Shipment Approval letter after you search and retrieve information on the desired Verification Approval request from the CFLC Application Main Menu page.

Back To Top