Generally, all firearms purchases and transfers, including private party transactions and sales at gun shows, must be made through a California licensed dealer under the Dealer’s Record of Sale (DROS) process. California law imposes a 10-day waiting period before a firearm can be released to a purchaser or transferee. A person must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shotgun. To purchase a handgun, a person must be at least 21 years of age. As part of the DROS process, the purchaser must present “clear evidence of identity and age” which is defined as a valid, non-expired California Driver’s License or Identification Card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A military identification accompanied by permanent duty station orders indicating a posting in California is also acceptable.

 
If the purchaser is not a U.S. Citizen, then he or she is required to demonstrate that he or she is legally within the United States by providing the firearms dealer with documentation containing his/her Alien Registration Number or I-94 Number.

 
Purchasers of handguns must provide proof of California residency, such as a utility bill, residential lease, property deed, or government-issued identification (other than a driver’s license or other DMV-issued identification), and either (1) possess a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with their recently purchased handgun or (2) qualify for an FSC exemption. The handgun purchased must be on the California Handgun Roster (http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/safeguns.asp). Private Party Transfers are exempt from the California Handgun Roster.

 
Purchasers of rifle or shotgun must either (1) possess a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with their recently purchased rifle or shotgun or (2) qualify for an FSC exemption.

 
FSC exemptions: https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/hscfaqs#c6