CRIS rejection

[Cylarz]

Question for the legal eagles here.

Has anyone here ever sent a California Reporting Information System (CRIS) request to Cal Dept of Justice, and had them refuse to process it for the reason that some particular firearm is recorded in your name? I cannot seem to get through to anyone at CA DOJ to get my question answered. All I want is a list of what firearms that the state government has registered to me.

[wireless]

Send the DOJ an email with your phone number. They called me back in 2.5 hours and spent 20 minutes on the phone with me. I asked them if I had exceeded the five handgun transfer limit, so maybe start with that in your email.

[Quiet]

All I want is a list of what firearms that the state government has registered to me.

The California Reporting Information System (CRIS) does not allow requests for this information.

In order to legally get this information, you need to submit an Automated Firearms System Request For Firearms Records (BOF 053).

CA DOJ BOF will mail back a response within 2-64 weeks.

[Cylarz]

In order to legally get this information, you need to submit an Automated Firearms System Request For Firearms Records (BOF 053).

CA DOJ BOF will mail back a response within 2-64 weeks.

That is what I sent them. Their response was that I have some bolt action rifle registered to me and therefore my request cant be completed. That makes no sense.

I could not seem to get through to anyone when navigating their automated phone tree, so I sent them an email. No response.

[Quiet]

Confirm you mailed in a notarized request?

You can not submit it online, it will get rejected.

The (online) California Reporting Information System (CRIS) will only process the following:
Firearm Ownership Report (BOF 4542A)
New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership (BOF 4010A)
Collector In-State Acquisition of Curio or Relic Long Gun Report (BOF 961)
Curio or Relic Firearm Report (BOF 4100A)
Report of Operation of Law (BOF 4544A)
Report of Intra-Familial Firearm Transaction (BOF 4544A)
Law Enforcement Gun Release Application (BOF 119)

[BagelBites]

The California Reporting Information System (CRIS) does not allow requests for this information.

In order to legally get this information, you need to submit an Automated Firearms System Request For Firearms Records (BOF 053).

CA DOJ BOF will mail back a response within 2-64 weeks.

This. You can't possibly use the CRIS system to get a list of all the firearms registered in your name, or to submit this form. Click the link provided for this form; read the instructions, complete the form, and mail it in.

[Cylarz]

This. You can't possibly use the CRIS system to get a list of all the firearms registered in your name, or to submit this form. Click the link provided for this form; read the instructions, complete the form, and mail it in.

Notarized, ID copy enclosed, mailed in. See above.

You will note that I said I submitted the request to the state and that they replied it couldnt be processed because a certain rifle was registered to me, and said rifle isnt illegal. My original question asked what one had to do with the other, or why owning a particular rifle would preclude getting a list of my own firearms from CA DOJ.

[BagelBites]

Your question doesn't make sense. You said that you're trying to use the CRIS system to obtain a list of all the firearms registered to you. The CRIS system does not provide this service, nor are you able to submit the form through the CRIS system. If you used the CRIS system to try and register a firearm that's already registered to you, which sounds like this is the case, then you would have gotten the rejection notice that you mentioned.

If you had submitted the AFS Request for Records form via snail mail, like you say you have, you would not be contacted through CRIS about anything, nor would it be rejected because a certain bolt action rifle is registered in your name. DOJ will mail you the results.

You need to forget the CRIS system altogether. It does not do what you want it to do.

[SkyHawk]

If only you would tell us WHAT you were using CRIS for, when this information about some rifle registered to you came to light.

• The whole story
• from the beginning
• in english
• spare no details

Then maybe we can opine. Right now all I have for you is...

[Cylarz]

I think I finally figured out what happened. I have a C&R/FFL03 license which I used to buy an M48A Mauser rifle from a Big 5 store in California. Such a rifle is well over 50 years old and therefore C&R eligible according to BATFE, which is the federal entity responsible for issuing C&R licenses.

The trouble is that the store staff - being accustomed to handling sporting goods generally and not firearms specifically - aren't familiar with the procedure for accepting a C&R as the staff of an actual gun store would be. In fact they gave me the runaround at first about even accepting it, then they insisted on calling CA DOJ in order to verify my accompanying Certificate of Eligibility that is also required.

Having bought the firearm with the C&R, the standard procedure is to download the appropriate form from CA DOJ's website, then fill it in with the make/model/serial etc, and mail it in with a $19 fee within 30 days so that the information can be entered into the state's long gun registry.

I noticed after posting that CA DOJ had sent this form back for some reason, and what I think happened is that the store staff registered the M48A at the point of sale, as they are accustomed to doing for any non-C&R firearm purchased in their store. They apparently don't realize they aren't supposed to do that; it's my responsibility as the buyer. That would explain why DOJ sent the form back to me saying they couldn't process my request. I do notice that they kept my $19 fee, so essentially I just bought Kamala Harris a nice dinner.

It so happens that I had *also* sent in a request to CA DOJ simply to provide me with a list of *all* firearms registered to me in their database, whether bought with a C&R/COE or not. They sent that form back to me a couple of weeks ago as well, complaining that I had forgotten to include a copy of my driver license. (Why do they need this when I had to show my ID to the notary before mailing it to CA DOJ?) So I made a copy of my ID, then sent the form a 2nd time.

Essentially the two matters are completely unrelated; I simply confused the rifle registration request with the registration *list* when the rejected registration attempt came back in the mail, having completely underestimated the insanely long turnaround times associated with a large government agency like CA DOJ.

Let this be a warning to any of you who also have C&R's and try to buy a old rifle from Big 5. They will hassle you about it, and you're almost better off just buying it the regular way and waiting your 10 days. Very few of their staff have even seen one of these licenses - they sell soccer balls and tennis rackets all day, and even the ones who work behind their firearms counter don't seem to be properly trained.


I am sorry I confused everyone. Thank you for trying to help.

[microwaveguy]

Having bought the firearm with the C&R, the standard procedure is to download the appropriate form from CA DOJ's website, then fill it in with the make/model/serial etc, and mail it in with a $19 fee within 30 days so that the information can be entered into the state's long gun registry.

I think I see the issue here. You brought this thru Big5 and they completed the DROS in their system with the C&R and COE and the $25.00 fee that you paid. At that point your DONE and do not mail in an additional form since the data is already in the state system. Big5 actually did it the way it was suppose to be done.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

If only you would tell us WHAT you were using CRIS for, when this information about some rifle registered to you came to light.

• The whole story
• from the beginning
• in english
• spare no details

Then maybe we can opine. Right now all I have for you is...

^This.