CHAPTER 3. Storage of Firearm Where Child Obtains Access and Carries Firearm Off-Premises [25200. - 25225.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 3.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25200. Section 25200.

(a) If all of the following conditions are satisfied, a person shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine: (1) The person keeps a firearm, loaded or unloaded, within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control. (2) The person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to that firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, or that a person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law is likely to gain access to the firearm. (3) The child or the prohibited person obtains access to that firearm and thereafter carries that firearm off-premises. (b) If all of the following conditions are satisfied, a person shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine: (1) The person keeps any firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control. (2) The person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, or that a person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law is likely to gain access to the firearm. (3) The child or the prohibited person obtains access to the firearm and thereafter carries that firearm off-premises to any public or private preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, or to any school-sponsored event, activity, or performance, whether occurring on school grounds or elsewhere. (c) A firearm that a child or prohibited person gains access to and carries off-premises in violation of this section shall be deemed “used in the commission of any misdemeanor as provided in this code or any felony” for the purpose of Section 29300 regarding the authority to confiscate firearms and other deadly weapons as a nuisance. (d) As used in this section, “off-premises” means premises other than the premises where the firearm was stored.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25205. Section 25205.

Section 25200 does not apply if any of the following are true: (a) The child obtains the firearm as a result of an illegal entry into any premises by any person. (b) The firearm is securely stored, as defined in Section 25145. (c) The firearm is carried or readily controlled by the lawful owner or another lawful authorized user, as defined in Section 25145. (d) The person is a peace officer or a member of the United States Armed Forces or National Guard and the child obtains the firearm during, or incidental to, the performance of the person’s duties. (e) The child obtains, or obtains and discharges, the firearm in a lawful act of self-defense or defense of another person. (f) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2026.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25210. Section 25210.

If a person who allegedly violated Section 25200 is the parent or guardian of a child who is injured or who dies as the result of an accidental shooting, the district attorney shall consider, among other factors, the impact of the injury or death on the person alleged to have violated Section 25200 when deciding whether to prosecute the alleged violation. It is the Legislature’s intent that a parent or guardian of a child who is injured or who dies as the result of an accidental shooting shall be prosecuted only in those instances in which the parent or guardian behaved in a grossly negligent manner or where similarly egregious circumstances exist. This section shall not otherwise restrict, in any manner, the factors that a district attorney may consider when deciding whether to prosecute alleged violations of Section 25200.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25215. Section 25215.

(a) If a person who allegedly violated Section 25200 is the parent or guardian of a child who was injured or who died as the result of an accidental shooting, no arrest of the person for the alleged violation of Section 25200 shall occur until at least seven days after the date upon which the accidental shooting occurred. (b) In addition to the limitation contained in subdivision (a), before arresting a person for a violation of Section 25200, a law enforcement officer shall consider the health status of a child who suffers great bodily injury as the result of an accidental shooting, if the person to be arrested is the parent or guardian of the injured child. The intent of this section is to encourage law enforcement officials to delay the arrest of a parent or guardian of a seriously injured child while the child remains on life-support equipment or is in a similarly critical medical condition.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25220. Section 25220.

(a) The fact that the person who allegedly violated Section 25200 attended a firearm safety training course prior to the purchase of the firearm that is obtained by a child in violation of Section 25200 shall be considered a mitigating factor by a district attorney when deciding whether to prosecute the alleged violation. (b) In any action or trial commenced under Section 25200, the fact that the person who allegedly violated Section 25200 attended a firearm safety training course prior to the purchase of the firearm that was obtained by a child in violation of Section 25200 is admissible.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 25225. Section 25225.

Every person licensed under Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive, shall post within the licensed premises the notice required by Section 26835, disclosing the duty imposed by this chapter upon any person who keeps any firearm.

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