On January 1, 2018, key legislative amendments went into effect that substantially revised and updated child-related firearm warning requirements in California. Prior to January 1, California law required the following child-related warning, in both English and Spanish, to be placed on the packaging of any firearm, and any descriptive materials that accompany any firearm, sold or transferred in California, or delivered for sale in California by any licensed manufacturer or dealer:
“Children are attracted to and can operate firearms that can cause severe injuries or death. Prevent child access by always keeping guns locked away and unloaded when not in use. If you keep a loaded firearm where a child obtains and improperly uses it, you may be fined or sent to prison.”
Now, as of January 1, California law not only requires a substantially longer warning, it also requires that the warning include a reference to the website of the California Attorney General. There are steep consequences for failing to provide the new warning required, and the margin for error is slim, e.g., the first violation is punishable by a fine, a second violation results in a thirty-day ban from manufacturing or selling firearms in California, and a third violation results in becoming permanently ineligible to manufacture or sell firearms in California. If you have not already done so, you should revise your child-related warnings to comply with California law as soon as possible.
Renzulli Law Firm is available to help you modify your warnings and ensure you are compliant with California law. Please contact John Renzulli or Chris Renzulli to discuss how Renzulli Law Firm can help you.
