AB 1615: Firearms: unsafe handguns.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law makes it a crime, punishable by not more than one year in county jail, to manufacture or cause to be manufactured, import into the state for sale, keep for sale, offer or expose for sale, give, or lend an unsafe handgun. Existing law establishes certain exemptions to this prohibition, including, among others, exemptions for sales to specified law enforcement agencies and other specified government agencies for use by specified employees and sales to specified peace officers.

Existing law specifies that the sale of an unsafe handgun to certain specified entities, including county probation departments, and members of those entities, is only authorized if the handgun is to be used as a service weapon by a peace officer who has successfully completed the basic course prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and who qualifies with the handgun, as specified, at least every 6 months. Existing law also provides that this training requirement may be satisfied by completion of the firearm portion of a training course prescribed by POST, if that training was completed before January 1, 2021.

This bill would instead authorize a peace officer employed by a county probation department and using an unsafe handgun as a service weapon to satisfy the above-described training requirement by completion of the firearm portion of a training course prescribed by POST and who qualifies with the handgun, as specified, at least every 3 months.

Existing law imposes certain vehicle storage requirements on specified persons who obtain an unsafe handgun, including sworn members of a county probation department who have completed the basic course or, prior to January 1, 2021, completed the firearm portion of a training course described above. A violation of those provisions is a crime.

Because the bill would expand the application of the crime described above to sworn members of a county probation department who have completed the firearm portion of a training course, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 4 · Republican 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 14, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 198, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 14, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 4, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
4. August 27, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6686.).
5. August 27, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 26, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0.).
7. August 20, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 19, 2026Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 10, 2026Ordered to third reading.
10. August 10, 2026From Consent Calendar.
11. August 4, 2026Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
12. August 3, 2026From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.