California Expands Gun Control Laws with Four New Bills for 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed multiple bills in September 2024 aimed at strengthening gun control measures and preventing mass shootings, including new restrictions on firearm purchases and expanded safety requirements for gun owners.

The legislation, which takes effect in 2025, introduces changes to private party transactions, mandates enhanced safety education, and broadens the scope of gun violence restraining orders. These measures build upon California's existing gun safety framework, which has contributed to a gun death rate 43% lower than the national average, according to the governor's office.

"The laws build on California's successful strategies to address gun violence, including new measures to reduce domestic violence," Newsom said in a statement.

Among the key provisions, Assembly Bill 1483 removes an exemption that previously allowed multiple private-party firearm purchases within a 30-day period. The bill maintains exceptions for sellers required by law to relinquish firearms and for transactions involving inherited weapons.

Assembly Bill 1598 strengthens safety education requirements by expanding the content covered in firearm safety certificate tests. The legislation requires licensed dealers to provide comprehensive safety information to customers about the risks of bringing firearms into homes.

Dr. Amy Barnhorst, psychiatrist and Associate Director of the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis, emphasized the importance of informed decision-making. "This will give firearm owners accurate information about the risks posed by having a firearm in the home and about protective orders for high-risk situations when someone is at risk of harm," she said. "With this, they can make more informed, independent, and responsible decisions about their firearms and the safety of their families."

The legislative package also includes Assembly Bill 574, which requires gun owners to verify possession of all firearms within 30 days of any new purchase or transfer. This measure aims to improve tracking and accountability of firearm ownership.

Assembly Bill 2917 expands California's Gun Violence Restraining (GVRO) law to address threats against groups or locations when courts consider prohibiting individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms and ammunition. This modification comes as the California Attorney General's 2023 Hate-Crime Report indicates increases in hate crimes involving racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender bias between 2021 and 2022.

Assemblymember Rich Chavez Zbur highlighted the importance of addressing hate-based violence. "With hate-based and politically motivated violence on the rise, California courts must be vigilant in considering these threats when determining whether to restrict access to firearms," Zbur said in a statement. "This bill guides the courts to weigh threats of violence against groups protected by hate crime laws and threats made to advance political objectives. By doing so, we can prevent needless deaths and save innocent lives."

The timing of these laws coincides with national concerns about gun violence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 2021 saw the highest number of gun-related deaths on record in the United States.

California's approach to gun safety has yielded measurable results. According to the governor's office, the state ranks first in gun safety nationwide. In contrast, Texas and Florida, ranking 31st and 24th, respectively, in gun law strength, experience firearm mortality rates more than 1.5 times higher than California's.

The implementation of these new measures follows a recent school shooting in Wisconsin, where two people were killed and six others were injured. The incident, involving a 15-year-old female student, underscores the ongoing national dialogue about gun violence prevention.