Firearms.

Senator Blakespear's firearms oversight legislation modifies California's regulatory framework for firearm dealers through enhanced inspection protocols and stricter compliance requirements. The Department of Justice must conduct targeted annual inspections of the ten dealer locations with the highest percentage of firearms later recovered in crimes, provided those locations were the source of at least 20 such weapons. These inspections must occur within 12 months of the department's annual report unless a location was inspected in the previous six months.

The bill establishes new inventory management requirements starting January 1, 2028. Dealers must maintain detailed records of all firearms acquired or disposed of within one business day, conduct monthly inventory checks of acquired firearms not yet sold, and provide sworn affidavits certifying record accuracy upon request. The Department may remove dealers from its centralized list for willfully failing to comply with licensing requirements or not addressing violations within 90 days of inspection. Removal results in a fine and two-year prohibition on placement on the centralized list or involvement in firearms dealing operations.

To fund these oversight activities, the Department may incrementally increase its annual inspection fee by up to 15 percent, not exceeding actual administrative costs. Dealers operating in jurisdictions with local inspection programs remain exempt from the state inspection fee portion. The legislation maintains existing requirements for the Department to sample at least 25 percent of each type of dealer record during inspections and preserves access to dealer information for law enforcement, federal licensees, and qualified gun show organizers.