California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a new round of sweeping gun control laws Friday, including a measure expanding the state’s red flag law by granting new authority to prosecutors. The bill, AB 1344, allows district attorneys in select counties to petition courts to confiscate firearms from individuals they deem dangerous.
Previously, California law permitted law enforcement, immediate family members, employers, coworkers, and teachers to request a gun violence restraining order. Under the new legislation, district attorneys in Alameda, El Dorado, Santa Clara, and Ventura counties are now authorized to file petitions as well.
The orders can block an individual from owning or possessing firearms for a period of one to five years, with the option to renew the restriction. Critics have long warned that red flag laws are ripe for abuse and lack sufficient due process protections, allowing firearms to be seized based on subjective accusations rather than criminal convictions.
In addition to AB 1344, Newsom signed two other controversial gun control bills. One measure requires firearm barrel sales to be conducted only through licensed dealers, who must perform a state “eligibility check” on the buyer and charge a $5 fee for each transaction. The law goes into effect July 1, 2027.
Another law, known as the “Glock ban,” prohibits new sales of Glock pistols and similar handguns beginning in July 2026. The bill reclassifies many Glock models as “machinegun-convertible pistols” due to their compatibility with illegal “Glock switches,” despite such devices already being banned under federal law. The move effectively targets one of the most popular handguns used by law-abiding citizens for self-defense.
The wave of legislation marks the latest chapter in Newsom’s aggressive push to make California a national model for gun control, even as critics argue the laws punish lawful gun owners and fail to address the state’s rising violent crime rates.
