ARTICLE 2. Exceptions Relating to Law Enforcement [27600. - 27620.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 2.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 27600. Section 27600.

(a) Article 1 (commencing with Section 27500) does not apply to any sale, delivery, or transfer of firearms made to, or the importation of firearms by, an authorized law enforcement representative of any city, county, city and county, or state, or of the federal government, for exclusive use by that governmental agency if, prior to the sale, delivery, transfer, or importation of these firearms, written authorization from the head of the agency authorizing the transaction is presented to the person from whom the purchase, delivery, or transfer is being made or from whom the firearm is being imported. (b) Proper written authorization is defined as verifiable written certification from the head of the agency by which the purchaser or transferee is employed, identifying the employee as an individual authorized to conduct the transaction, and authorizing the transaction for the exclusive use of the agency by which that person is employed. (c) Within 10 days of the date a firearm is acquired by the agency, a record of the same shall be entered as an institutional weapon into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency. Any agency without access to the AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system. (d) Any agency that is the registered owner of an institutional weapon in accordance with subdivision (c) that subsequently destroys that weapon shall enter information that the weapon has been destroyed into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) within 10 days of the destruction in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Department of Justice. Any agency without access to the AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 27605. Section 27605.

Article 1 (commencing with Section 27500) does not apply to the loan of a firearm if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) The loan is made by an authorized law enforcement representative of a city, county, or city and county, or of the state or federal government. (b) The loan is made to a peace officer employed by that agency and authorized to carry a firearm. (c) The loan is made for the carrying and use of that firearm by that peace officer in the course and scope of the officer’s duties.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 27610. Section 27610.

(a) Article 1 (commencing with Section 27500) does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm by a law enforcement agency to a peace officer pursuant to Section 10334 of the Public Contract Code. (b) Within 10 days of the date that a handgun, and commencing January 1, 2014, any firearm, is sold, delivered, or transferred pursuant to Section 10334 of the Public Contract Code to that peace officer, the name of the officer and the make, model, serial number, and other identifying characteristics of the firearm being sold, delivered, or transferred shall be entered into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency that sold, delivered, or transferred the firearm, provided, however, that if the firearm is not a handgun and does not have a serial number, identification number, or identification mark assigned to it, that fact shall be noted in AFS. Any agency without access to AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 27615. Section 27615.

(a) Article 1 (commencing with Section 27500) does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm by a law enforcement agency to a retiring peace officer who is authorized to carry a firearm pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 26300) of Division 5. (b) Within 10 days of the date that a handgun, and commencing January 1, 2014, any firearm, is sold, delivered, or transferred to that retiring peace officer, the name of the officer and the make, model, serial number, and other identifying characteristics of the firearm being sold, delivered, or transferred shall be entered into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) by the law enforcement or state agency that sold, delivered, or transferred the firearm, provided, however, that if the firearm is not a handgun and does not have a serial number, identification number, or identification mark assigned to it, that fact shall be noted in AFS. Any agency without access to AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 27620. Section 27620.

Section 27545 does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm when made by an authorized law enforcement representative of a city, county, city and county, or of the state or federal government, if all of the following conditions are met: (a) The sale, delivery, or transfer is made to one of the following: (1) A wholesaler. (2) A manufacturer or importer of firearms or ammunition licensed to engage in that business pursuant to Chapter 44 (commencing with Section 921) of Title 18 of the United States Code and the regulations issued pursuant thereto. (b) The sale, delivery, or transfer of the firearm is not subject to the procedures set forth in Section 18000, 18005, 34000, or 34005. (c) Within 10 days of the date that any firearm is delivered pursuant to this section, the governmental agency has entered a record of the delivery into the Automated Firearms System (AFS) via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS). Any agency without access to the AFS shall arrange with the sheriff of the county in which the agency is located to input this information via this system.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026