Attorney General Bonta Releases Informational Bulletin on New Ghost Gun Laws Coming into Effect January 1, 2026

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today unveiled a new informational bulletin about two newly enacted laws related to ghost guns and illegal firearm manufacturing. The bulletin summarizes the provisions of Assembly Bill 1263 (Gipson, 2025) and Senate Bill 704 (Arreguín, 2025) for the purpose of informing relevant stakeholders and members of the public about new and updated standards, responsibilities, and accountability measures that take effect on January 1, 2026. 

"For the California Department of Justice, public safety is priority number one, two, and three. California has made enormous long-term progress on gun safety and has transformed from a state with one of the highest rates of gun violence in the nation to one of the lowest, in part due to our nation-leading gun laws," said Attorney General Bonta. "With these new laws, California demands transparency from sellers of products commonly used to manufacture ghost guns or other illegal weapons and adds new requirements that protect consumers. I urge firearm dealers, manufacturers, consumers, and others — both within California and outside of it — to review today's bulletin and ensure they come into compliance with these new laws coming into effect on January 1st." 

Ghost guns are firearms manufactured without valid serial numbers, typically by individuals who are not licensed to manufacture firearms. Over the past decade, California communities have faced a fast-growing safety threat from the ghost gun industry, which has sold a range of products and services designed to enable unlicensed individuals to assemble or produce firearms without any background check, serial number, or other vital protections. These entities have sought to gain an unfair business advantage over responsible, licensed firearm businesses by selling skip-the-background-check products and services that facilitate the unlawful production of firearms, and the conversion of legal weapons into illegal assault weapons and machine guns. These entities have also induced California consumers to purchase certain firearm-related products while deceptively failing to notify them that it would be a crime to use those products for their intended purpose.  

AB 1263 and SB 704 build upon other nation-leading laws that California has enacted in recent years to address these safety threats and deceptive business practices. They prevent the unlawful sale and delivery of firearm-related products to minors and prohibited purchasers, while also ensuring that California consumers purchasing firearm-related products are properly informed about the laws governing their use. 

The bulletin details the new laws, specifically: 

• New requirements governing the sale of firearm barrels by licensed firearm dealers and other sellers.
• Updated Civil Code definitions for “firearm accessory” and “firearm manufacturing machine” under the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act (FIRA).
• Consumer notice, age verification, and identification requirements for the sale and delivery of “firearm accessories,” “firearm manufacturing machines,” and firearm barrels by licensed firearm dealers and other firearm industry members.
• Updated definition and cause of action for unlawful distribution of digital firearm manufacturing code to unlicensed individuals.
• New criminal offense and civil cause of action for facilitating, or causing another person to engage in, the unlawful manufacture of firearms.
• Prohibition on firearm and ammunition possession/acquisition for 10 years by individuals convicted of additional firearm-related offenses. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to keeping Californians safe and fighting against the threat of ghost guns. In 2024, he issued a groundbreaking report on California’s efforts to address the threat of ghost guns, and this year he sponsored AB 1263 based on recommendations in that report. Last year, he joined a coalition urging the United States Supreme Court to protect communities from ghost guns and announced a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the California Department of Justice, the San Francisco District Attorney, and Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, barring ghost gun companies from manufacturing or selling unserialized ghost gun kits and firearm precursor parts in California. Attorney General Bonta also obtained a favorable court decision requiring the federal government to regulate certain AR-type partially complete receivers as firearms under the federal Gun Control Act. 

Please see the California Ghost Gun Laws Reference Guide to learn about laws and policies designed to address the threat of ghost guns in California.