Fast facts:

  • On March 20th, 2023, Judge Cormac J. Carney of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued an order determining that certain requirements related to the Roster of Certified Handguns under California’s Unsafe Handgun Act are unconstitutional.
  • This decision is the result of a lawsuit filed by the California Rifle & Pistol Association and others in 2022, which led to Judge Carney reviewing the constitutionality of the state’s roster-related firearms restrictions.
  • In his ruling, Judge Carney noted no new semiautomatic handgun models have been approved for sale in California since 2013, forcing residents to buy older models that are possibly less safe.
  • This ruling is unlikely to have an immediate impact on California residents.
  • The ruling is specific to California and doesn’t apply to other states.
  • Judge Carney granted a preliminary injunction which temporarily prohibits the chamber load indicator, magazine disconnect mechanism, and microstamping capability requirements from being enforced. The preliminary injunction will not take effect until April 3, 2023 to allow the California government time to file an appeal, in which it will likely seek a stay of the preliminary injunction.
  • It is likely to be appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Contact your U.S. LawShield® Independent Program Attorney for more information regarding how provisions of California’s Unsafe Handgun Act being ruled unconstitutional could impact you.

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