California’s Roster of Certified Handguns
California maintains a roster of handguns deemed “safe” for sale. Federal firearms licensees or licensed gun dealers in California can only sell handguns on the roster to the general public.
To get on the roster, models should pass certain tests and meet specific requirements. For example, the gun needs to have a maximum capacity of 10 rounds and safety mechanisms.
The Microstamping Requirement
Since 2013, California has also required new semi-automatic pistols to use microstamping tech. This uses an engraved firing pin to leave microscopic identifying marks on fired casings.
However, no commercially available handguns currently use that technology. As a result, no new guns have been added to the roster since 2013.
Models introduced before 2013 and already on the roster were grandfathered in after this rule was added. Glock Gen 3s were among them… but not Gen 4s or 5s.
For Gen 4 or Gen 5 Glocks to be added to the roster, they would need to comply with the microstamping rule as post-2013 additions to the list.
Glocks Legal for Sale in CA in 2025
As of 2025, California-legal Glock models for sale by dealers are Gen 3 guns. They can be found in the California handgun roster.
These are legal to purchase through a dealer in California (for civilians) as long as the manufacturer keeps them on the roster each year.
At the same time, many Glock models are not legal for sale by CA dealers. Examples are the popular single-stack subcompact Glock 43 (9mm) and the slimline Glock 48.
And as noted earlier, Gen 4 and Gen 5 Glocks aren’t on the roster. This is why gun dealers in the state don’t sell them.
This also means that a G17 Gen 3 or G19 Gen 3 is legal, but a G17 Gen 4 or G19 Gen 5 isn’t.
Glocks Legal for Ownership in CA in 2025
Gen 4 and 5 Glocks are off-roster handguns in California, but “off-roster” does not mean “illegal to own.” If you get one of these handguns through a legal exemption, it’s fine.
Here are exemptions:
- You purchase it through a private party transfer overseen by a licensed dealer.
- You move to California with the gun and register it with the authorities.
California-Compliant Gen 3 Glocks by Caliber
- 9×19mm: G17, G19, G26, G34
- .40 S&W: G22, G23, G27, G35
- .45 ACP: G21, G30, G36
- 10mm Auto: G20, G29
- .357 SIG: G31, G32, G33
- .45 GAP: G37, G38, G39
- .45 GAP: G37, G38, G39
Note: Different color variants and compensated versions of these models are legal. The G18 is not on the roster and is completely prohibited for civilian ownership, as it’s a machine gun under federal law.
Possible Legislative Changes - California AB 1127 (2025)
In February 2025, California lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill 1127 (AB 1127), which specifically targets handguns that can be easily converted into fully automatic firearms.
The bill was prompted by the rise of illegal “Glock switches.” These are conversion devices that turn a semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun or full-auto handgun.
AB 1127 will prohibit California firearm dealers from selling any semi-automatic pistol that can be converted to full-auto by adding one of the aforementioned devices.
Here’s the text from the bill about what it prohibits, in its form at the time of writing:
“... any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted… into a machinegun by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter… as a replacement for the slide’s backplate”
Glocks have cruciform trigger bars and are convertible into full-auto guns. This is true even for Gen 3s.
So, even Gen 3 Glocks will become illegal for sale by California dealers if the bill passes in its current state.
Could AB 1127 Affect Gen 3 Glock Owners?
No, Gen 3 Glock owners in California shouldn’t be affected by AB 1127 if it passes in its current form. The bill isn’t a confiscation law and only targets future sales.
The bill also exempts police and other law enforcement agencies.
Could AB 1127 Affect Gen 3 PPTs?
AB 1127 currently exempts bona fide private-party transfers from the dealer sale prohibition.
The bill states that the ban on selling machinegun-convertible pistols “shall not apply to… [a] private party to private party transaction conducted through a licensed firearms dealer pursuant to [existing law].”
Californians can also still sell their Gen 3 Glocks to buyers in other states. This includes private parties as well as licensed dealers like Cash for Arms.
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