23900-23925
PENAL CODE
SECTION 23900-23925
23900. Any person who changes, alters, removes, or obliterates the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification, including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department of Justice, on any pistol, revolver, or any other firearm, without first having secured written permission from the department to make that change, alteration, or removal shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison. 23910. The Department of Justice upon request may assign a distinguishing number or mark of identification to any firearm whenever the firearm lacks a manufacturer's number or other mark of identification, or whenever the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification or a distinguishing number or mark assigned by the department has been destroyed or obliterated. 23915. (a) Any person may place or stamp on any pistol, revolver, or other firearm any number or identifying indicium, provided the number or identifying indicium does not change, alter, remove, or obliterate the manufacturer's name, number, model, or other mark of identification. (b) This section does not prohibit restoration by the owner of the name of the maker or model, or of the original manufacturer's number or other mark of identification, when that restoration is authorized by the department. (c) This section does not prevent any manufacturer from placing in the ordinary course of business the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification upon a new firearm. 23920. Except as provided in Section 23925, any person who, with knowledge of any change, alteration, removal, or obliteration described in this section, buys, receives, disposes of, sells, offers for sale, or has in possession any pistol, revolver, or other firearm that has had the name of the maker or model, or the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification, including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department of Justice, changed, altered, removed, or obliterated, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 23925. Section 23920 does not apply to any of the following: (a) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in Section 23920 by any member of the military forces of this state or of the United States, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of employment. (b) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in Section 23920 by any peace officer described in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of employment. (c) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in Section 23920 by any employee of a forensic laboratory, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of employment. (d) The possession and disposition of a firearm described in Section 23920 by a person who meets all of the following: (1) The person is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm. (2) The person possessed the firearm no longer than was necessary to deliver it to a law enforcement agency for that agency's disposition according to law. (3) If the person is transporting the firearm, the person is transporting it to a law enforcement agency in order to deliver it to the agency for the agency's disposition according to law. (4) If the person is transporting the firearm to a law enforcement agency, the person has given prior notice to the agency that the person is transporting the firearm to that agency for the agency's disposition according to law. (5) The firearm is transported in a locked container as defined in Section 16850.