Moving to California

[FelixP]

Hey all, I'm moving from VA to CA (where I grew up!) in a few months.

Things I am looking forward to:

• My longboard
• No humidity
• Great sushi
• New job
• Riding my motorcycle year-round
• Taking the train to work

Things I am NOT looking forward to:

• Hippies, damn hippies.
• Not having a car (doesn't look practical right now, hard to find parking near where I'll be living, this may change)
• Expensive everything
• Leaving behind a great bunch of friends in VA
• Ridiculous gun laws

I do not currently own any firearms, although I have shot a fair number of rental handguns, carbines, etc. Were I planning on staying in VA, my purchase of a gun (or guns) would be a non-priority. Unfortunately, due to the move, I'm now fairly certain that it would be in my interest to buy *before* I move vs. after, due to regulations, costs, etc. I've read around the forums for a bit, so please correct me if I've got any of this wrong:

• I can bring pretty much any number of any type of handgun into the state, as long as I do not "have intent to distribute" (uh, right, I'm a gun-runner now? how the hell do they prove "intent"?), I do not bring any mags over 10 rounds, and the handguns are not "assault weapons," i.e. very large caliber weapons, pistols with burst fire, "carbine" type weapons (Beretta Storm, etc), pistols with stocks, etc.
• I am concerned about the "intent" thing because if I plan on showing up with 5 brand new handguns that I bought simply because they were cheaper in the place I used to live, could that be construed as "intent to distribute"?
• I can bring in an AR-15 type rifle with so-called "evil features" (pistol grip, bayonet lug, flash hider, etc.), PROVIDED it is built off of an "off list lower" (OLL), has a total length of at least 30" in its "shortest configuration" (i.e. stock folded), and has a "Bullet Button" ALREADY INSTALLED
• That is, I need to order one of these bullet buttons and have it installed before I cross the state line, or I'm a felon?
• If I remove my "fixed" bullet-button magazine from my AR at the range, I will be a felon?
• No restrictions on bringing in my own ammo, provided it's not some ridiculous depleted-uranium type stuff?
• I can bring in "high capacity" (read: standard capacity) mags with me, as long as they're disassembled, and stay that way as long as I'm in CA?
• I may be living near a school. I will be a felon if I own a gun in my own home and do not have the proper safety certificate & registration?
• Anyone clear on the law regarding transportation of guns on a motorcycle? I don't have a bike that's designed for hard bags (Honda Hawk GT)...

I'm planning on getting my CCP for Virginia so that I can purchase more than one handgun per 30 days. I have very little interest in EDC.

I may have more questions, but thanks in advance!

[uxo2]

Hey all, I'm moving from VA to CA (where I grew up!) in a few months.

Things I am looking forward to:

• My longboard
• No humidity
• Great sushi
• New job
• Riding my motorcycle year-round

Things I am NOT looking forward to:

• Hippies, damn hippies.
• Not having a car (doesn't look practical right now, hard to find parking near where I'll be living, this may change)
• Expensive everything
• Leaving behind a great bunch of friends in VA
• Ridiculous gun laws

I do not currently own any firearms, although I have shot a fair number of rental handguns, carbines, etc. Were I planning on staying in VA, my purchase of a gun (or guns) would be a non-priority. Unfortunately, due to the move, I'm now fairly certain that it would be in my interest to buy *before* I move vs. after, due to regulations, costs, etc. I've read around the forums for a bit, so please correct me if I've got any of this wrong:

• I can bring pretty much any number of any type of handgun into the state, as long as I do not "have intent to distribute" (uh, right, I'm a gun-runner now? how the hell do they prove "intent"?), I do not bring any mags over 10 rounds, and the handguns are not "assault weapons," i.e. very large caliber weapons, pistols with burst fire, "carbine" type weapons (Beretta Storm, etc), pistols with stocks, etc.
• I am concerned about the "intent" thing because if I plan on showing up with 5 brand new handguns that I bought simply because they were cheaper in the place I used to live, could that be construed as "intent to distribute"?
• I can bring in an AR-15 type rifle with so-called "evil features" (pistol grip, bayonet lug, flash hider, etc.), PROVIDED it is built off of an "off list lower" (OLL), has a total length of at least 30" in its "shortest configuration" (i.e. stock folded), and has a "Bullet Button" ALREADY INSTALLED
• That is, I need to order one of these bullet buttons and have it installed before I cross the state line, or I'm a felon?
• If I remove my "fixed" bullet-button magazine from my AR at the range, I will be a felon?
• No restrictions on bringing in my own ammo, provided it's not some ridiculous depleted-uranium type stuff?
• I can bring in "high capacity" (read: standard capacity) mags with me, as long as they're disassembled, and stay that way as long as I'm in CA?
• I may be living near a school. I will be a felon if I own a gun in my own home and do not have the proper safety certificate & registration?
• Anyone clear on the law regarding transportation of guns on a motorcycle? I don't have a bike that's designed for hard bags (Honda Hawk GT)...

I'm planning on getting my CCP for Virginia so that I can purchase more than one handgun per 30 days. I have very little interest in EDC.

I may have more questions, but thanks in advance!

[FelixP]

Also, I've been told that all bazookas, anti-tank rifles, mortars, gatling guns, cruise missiles, microwave guns, lasers, ICBMs, railguns, flamethrowers, and extra sharp sticks are definitely Not Cool. Oh, and pretty much any type of phased-plasma pulse weapons are out as well.

Kitchen knives may be OK, if they're old and dull, but absolutely, positively NO SPORKS.

[Mason McDuffie]

Nice one brotha. I started reading this and thinking is this guy for real, Haha, good stuff.

[FelixP]

Nice one brotha. I started reading this and thinking is this guy for real, Haha, good stuff.

I apologize if my tone was overly light-hearted, but I'm quite serious. =/

[Mason McDuffie]

Oh, ummmmm, yeah. This is uncomfortable.

[FelixP]

Well I apologize again if my tone was inappropriate, but no one in VA seems to know much about gun laws in CA, and I figured you guys would be the place to get the right information.

To be clear, I'm not dead set on buying myself an arsenal before I move to CA- I just figured it would be prudent to make any purchases that I could see myself making in the next few years right now, instead of after I become a California resident. I'm mainly looking for a few handguns and an AR type weapon (if the government will let me). I have absolutely zero interest in breaking the law, or even bending it in funny ways, so one of the main reasons I'm asking these questions is to make sure that I'm in compliance. You'll have to forgive me if my ignorance makes me ask dumb questions in dumb ways.

[thedrickel]

You've got it more or less covered. Any features guns, remove features or add mag lock. Any named AW, switch receivers if practical, otherwise sell and buy something similar but not listed. Disassemble mags. Buy as many unrostered pistols/frames/receivers as you can afford.

[11011500a]

http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/ this is the crap deal in CA get what you can but stay away from the fun stuff

[Batman]

• I can bring pretty much any number of any type of handgun into the state, as long as I do not "have intent to distribute" (uh, right, I'm a gun-runner now? how the hell do they prove "intent"?), I do not bring any mags over 10 rounds, and the handguns are not "assault weapons," i.e. very large caliber weapons, pistols with burst fire, "carbine" type weapons (Beretta Storm, etc), pistols with stocks, etc.
  
  Yes. You will need to register pistols that you bring into the state. Not sure about long guns, though.
  
• I am concerned about the "intent" thing because if I plan on showing up with 5 brand new handguns that I bought simply because they were cheaper in the place I used to live, could that be construed as "intent to distribute"?
  
  Only if you don't bring enough for all of us!
  
• I can bring in an AR-15 type rifle with so-called "evil features" (pistol grip, bayonet lug, flash hider, etc.), PROVIDED it is built off of an "off list lower" (OLL), has a total length of at least 30" in its "shortest configuration" (i.e. stock folded), and has a "Bullet Button" ALREADY INSTALLED
  
  Yes.
  
• That is, I need to order one of these bullet buttons and have it installed before I cross the state line, or I'm a felon?
  
  Before you cross the state line.
  
• If I remove my "fixed" bullet-button magazine from my AR at the range, I will be a felon?
  
  No. Just remember that if you don't need a tool to drop the mag, it's not considered a fixed mag!
  
• No restrictions on bringing in my own ammo, provided it's not some ridiculous depleted-uranium type stuff?
  
  No tracers, no flechettes, no grenades. Many ranges frown on steel core ammo, so check out your ammo first.
  
• I can bring in "high capacity" (read: standard capacity) mags with me, as long as they're disassembled, and stay that way as long as I'm in CA?
  
  Yes.
  
• I may be living near a school. I will be a felon if I own a gun in my own home and do not have the proper safety certificate & registration?
  
  Certificate? Registration? No. There's no such animal. Just don't mow your lawn in a speedo with a pair of flippers while wearing a tuxedo top, and you'll be fine.
  
• Anyone clear on the law regarding transportation of guns on a motorcycle? I don't have a bike that's designed for hard bags (Honda Hawk GT)...
  
  No idea. I'll let someone else get that one!
  

I'm planning on getting my CCP for Virginia so that I can purchase more than one handgun per 30 days. I have very little interest in EDC.

I may have more questions, but thanks in advance!

Hope that helps or at least is a start.

[Mason McDuffie]

Ahhh, yeah this is the place to go I guess. Check out the 2nd amendment section. Im not a guru on gun laws here but there are people far more qualified to answer your questions after you do some foot work. I honestly cant begin to correct everything in that first statement of yours other then yes we do have surfboards and waves here, depending on where you move you get year round bike weather, and there arent as many hippies around as people from other states think.

As for most of the stuff you wrote (example: bringing any type of pistol here) you can assume that it is all wrong. Erase the pad and start new. First stop the gunlaw section of this website.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/forumdisplay.php?f=71

Welcome to California and dont forget to tip your waiter.

[cousinkix1953]

Roll on the floor and laugh our azzes off. This guy is very funny.

On a serious note, he could buy several used handguns and that might not look so much like intent to distribute them here. He's owned them for awhile, for all the anti-gun beauracrats know...

[Vin496]

It's funny that it's the "new" members that think this post is funny.

You can bring anything and any amount of things you want. The intent won't be an issue at all, unless you show up and try to sell it all, but that would apply to all of us as by State law you can only sell 5 transaction per year.

The cost will be $19 per handgun when you register them, long guns are not required to be registered.

You seem to have it pretty much covered, concerning mags and AW items.

If I were you I would load up on everything I could before I moved to California, as prices are high,taxes are high, stupid roster and waiting times.

[Vin496]

Roll on the floor and laugh our azzes off. This guy is very funny.

On a serious note, he could buy several used handguns and that might not look so much like intent to distribute them here. He's owned them for awhile, for all the anti-gun beauracrats know...

ROFLMAO you are funny.

No need to buy used. The State wont know when he bought his guns even if they wanted to, the Federal Form he fills out in Virginia, only says that a gun was sold, and California isn't even going to try and find out.

[Nodda Duma]

Not sure why everything thinks your questions are funny or strange. They seem fairly valid for somebody coming from a gun friendly state.

Just want to add a couple things that folks missed when replying..

Hey all, I'm moving from VA to CA (where I grew up!) in a few months.

[*]I can bring in an AR-15 type rifle with so-called "evil features" (pistol grip, bayonet lug, flash hider, etc.), PROVIDED it is built off of an "off list lower" (OLL), has a total length of at least 30" in its "shortest configuration" (i.e. stock folded), and has a "Bullet Button" ALREADY INSTALLED

10 round maximum capacity magazine in this configuration. Any more and it is an Assault weapon as defined by California, and will land you in hot water.
[*]That is, I need to order one of these bullet buttons and have it installed before I cross the state line, or I'm a felon?
Yes
[*]If I remove my "fixed" bullet-button magazine from my AR at the range, I will be a felon?
Yes
[*]I can bring in "high capacity" (read: standard capacity) mags with me, as long as they're disassembled, and stay that way as long as I'm in CA?
[*]I may be living near a school. I will be a felon if I own a gun in my own home and do not have the proper safety certificate & registration?
No need beyond the handgun registration requirement.
[*]Anyone clear on the law regarding transportation of guns on a motorcycle? I don't have a bike that's designed for hard bags (Honda Hawk GT)...

Use the search function for the forum and you should see many threads talking about carrying firearms on a motorcycle. It is a little different than transporting in a vehicle, but the basic idea is the same (locked container for handgun).
[/LIST]

I'm planning on getting my CCP for Virginia so that I can purchase more than one handgun per 30 days. I have very little interest in EDC.

I may have more questions, but thanks in advance!

Keep in mind that you have 30 days to register hanguns with CA DOJ when you move into the state. I am not sure of the process or where to get the forms, you should be able to search these forums and find some insight.

-Jason