Firearms: prohibition: minors.

Assembly Member Davies frames this measure around closing gaps in how youths are subject to firearm prohibitions by extending a formal relinquishment process to juveniles who are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms until age 30, and by adding enforcement tools to ensure compliance.

The core change requires any juvenile who remains under the prohibition to relinquish all firearms under their custody or control through a designated process. A court must instruct the juvenile and provide a Prohibited Persons Relinquishment Form, which the juvenile or their designee—either a local law enforcement agency or a consenting third party not prohibited from possessing firearms—uses to transfer firearms to law enforcement, sell to a licensed dealer, or transfer for storage. The designee must obtain receipts and disclose relevant information to update records. Timeframes specify relinquishment within 48 hours if the juvenile is not in custody, or within 14 days if they are in custody; if the juvenile is released, a designee must take action within 5 days after release. The form requires the juvenile to declare firearms owned or possessed and to identify a designee, who must confirm consent and non-prohibition, provide relinquishment details, and submit the form to the assigned probation officer for oversight and a corresponding update to an state automated firearms system.

The bill broadens enforcement and oversight through expanded warrant authority and court procedures. If a juvenile subject to the prohibition fails to relinquish firearms, authorities may seek a search warrant to seize firearms at locations where they are believed to be located, with the court ensuring timely hearings and related protections for the party served. Before final disposition, the court must verify that relinquishment occurred and that the required documentation has been filed and receipts collected; failure to timely file the relinquishment form can result in an infraction. The measure also requires the designee to report relinquishment actions and updates to the Automated Firearms System, and it provides for temporary custody or disposal decisions aligned with the juvenile’s wishes and the prevailing court orders.

In addition to the centralized relinquishment framework, the bill includes targeted exemptions for minors in specific, lawful activities—such as active participation in certain sports or entertainment productions with parental consent or guardian oversight—where possession or use of a firearm is part of the activity and safety precautions are observed. Other provisions address storage responsibilities for cohabitants, notice requirements, and the consequences and procedures surrounding compliance, while establishing severability and clarifying that, with regard to mandated local costs, the act contains no blanket state reimbursement, except as the Commission on State Mandates determines otherwise. The act is set to become operative at the start of 2026, with timelines and duties designed to integrate with existing firearm-relief and record-keeping systems.