In California you need a Firearm Safety Certificate to buy or receive a firearm, with a few exemptions set in law. The certificate comes from passing a written test of the Department of Justice.
The numbers
- Passing score: 75 percent.
- Fee: $25, for the test and the certificate.
- Valid: five years.
Where
At a licensed firearms dealer with a DOJ-certified instructor. Most dealers that sell firearms offer the test. Bring identification and the fee.
What is on it
The test is written from the DOJ’s study guide and nothing else: the rules of safe handling, loading and unloading, storage and keeping firearms from children, the laws on carrying and transporting, and what happens at the dealer when you buy. The guide is short. Read it once, then practise until the exam comes easily. The questions here are in English and Spanish, the two languages of the real test.
Practice for the FSC testSource: Firearm Safety Certificate Study Guide, California DOJ