Pen. Code, § 29185 · Chapter 3. Assembly of Firearms
Pen. Code, § 29185
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) No person, other than a state-licensed firearms manufacturer, shall use a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine or three-dimensional printer to manufacture a firearm.
(b) It is unlawful to sell, offer to sell, or transfer a CNC milling machine or three-dimensional printer that has the sole or primary function of manufacturing firearms to any person in this state, other than a state-licensed firearms manufacturer.
(c) It is unlawful for any person in this state other than a state-licensed firearms manufacturer to possess, purchase, or receive a CNC milling machine or three-dimensional printer that has the sole or primary function of manufacturing firearms.
(d) Subdivisions (b) and (c) do not apply to any of the following:
(1) A person who is engaged in the business of selling manufacturing equipment to a state-licensed firearms manufacturer, and who possesses a CNC milling machine or three-dimensional printer with the intent to sell or transfer the CNC milling machine or three-dimensional printer to a state licensed firearms manufacturer.
(2) A common carrier licensed under state law, or a motor carrier, air carrier or carrier affiliated with an air carrier through common controlling interest that is subject to Title 49 of the United States Code, or an authorized agent of any such carrier, when acting in the course and scope of duties incident to the receipt, processing, transportation, or delivery of property.
(3) A person who, before June 30, 2022, possessed a CNC milling machine that has the sole or primary function of manufacturing firearms and who, within 90 days after that date, does one of the following:
(A) Sells or transfers the machine to a federally licensed firearms manufacturer or importer.
(B) Sells or transfers the machine to a person described in paragraph (1).
(C) Removes the machine from this state.
(D) Relinquished the machine to a law enforcement agency.
(E) Otherwise lawfully terminates possession of the machine.
(4) A person who, before July 1, 2024, possessed a three-dimensional printer that has the sole or primary function of manufacturing firearms and who, within 90 days after that date, does one of the following:
(A) Sells or transfers the machine to a state-licensed firearms manufacturer.
(B) Sells or transfers the machine to a person described in paragraph (1).
(C) Removes the machine from this state.
(D) Relinquishes the machine to a law enforcement agency.
(E) Otherwise lawfully terminates possession of the machine.
(e) This section does not apply to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of employment, or any law enforcement agency or forensic laboratory.
(f) A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.
(g) As used in this section, the following terms are defined as follows:
(1) “State-licensed firearms manufacturer” has the same meaning as the term “licensee” is defined in Section 29030.
(2) “Three-dimensional printer” means a computer-aided manufacturing device capable of producing a three-dimensional object from a three-dimensional digital model through an additive manufacturing process that involves the layering of two-dimensional cross sections formed of a resin or similar material that are fused together to form a three-dimensional object.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 243, Sec. 4. (AB 1089) Effective January 1, 2024.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=29185.
- Text hash
- sha256 018783a5158914bd4a09e5e060b5babb7dfd245d5a369b8740460224876ed7f4
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
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