Gun Laws/California/Reviewed October 3, 2026

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Are forced reset triggers legal in California?

Quick answer

No

California: Banned as a multiburst trigger activator; the state DOJ says FRTs are covered.

2 of California's 3 neighboring states have the same status. Check each one before you cross a state line with forced reset triggers.

Not legal advice. Source: Cal. Penal Code §§ 16930, 32900, checked October 3, 2026

Forced reset trigger laws by state

Alabama: No state banAlaska: No state banArizona: No state banColorado: RestrictedFlorida: UnsettledGeorgia: No state banIndiana: No state banKansas: No state banMaine: No state banMassachusetts: RestrictedMinnesota: RestrictedNew Jersey: RestrictedNorth Carolina: No state banNorth Dakota: No state banOklahoma: No state banPennsylvania: No state banSouth Dakota: No state banTexas: No state banWyoming: No state banConnecticut: RestrictedMissouri: No state banWest Virginia: No state banIllinois: RestrictedNew Mexico: No state banArkansas: No state banCalifornia: RestrictedDelaware: RestrictedHawaii: RestrictedIowa: UnsettledKentucky: No state banMaryland: RestrictedMichigan: No state banMississippi: No state banMontana: No state banNew Hampshire: No state banNew York: RestrictedOhio: No state banOregon: RestrictedTennessee: No state banUtah: No state banVirginia: UnsettledWashington: RestrictedWisconsin: No state banNebraska: No state banSouth Carolina: No state banIdaho: No state banNevada: RestrictedVermont: No state banLouisiana: No state banRhode Island: RestrictedALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY
No state ban (32)Unsettled (3)Restricted (15)Forced reset trigger laws by state. Tap a state
Map legend: clear means No state ban; caution means Unsettled; restricted means Restricted

Triggers that stay legal in California

Compliant in California.A forced reset trigger is treated as a machine gun in California. A fast single stage drop in is not.

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Not legal advice. Confirm your own configuration before you buy. All California gun laws

What the California statute says

California's multiburst trigger activator ban

Cal. Penal Code §§ 16930, 32900

“A manual or power-driven trigger activating device constructed and designed so that when attached to, built into, or used in conjunction with, a semiautomatic firearm it increases the rate of fire of that firearm.”

California makes it a crime to make, sell or possess a multiburst trigger activator, and this definition reaches anything that raises a semiautomatic's rate of fire. The state DOJ said in Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-11 (June 2, 2025) that forced reset triggers fall within it and stay illegal despite the federal settlement.

Statute text checked October 3, 2026. Quotes are the statute's own words.

California law in detail

  • California is one of fifteen states, plus the District of Columbia, that restrict forced reset triggers. Banned as a multiburst trigger activator; the state DOJ says FRTs are covered. The statute section on this page shows the exact wording, and the 2025 federal settlement does not override a state rule.
  • A standard fast single stage or two stage drop in trigger is not affected by any of these statutes.

The federal rule

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

FRTs in neighboring states

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in California?

No. California: Banned as a multiburst trigger activator; the state DOJ says FRTs are covered. The statute: Cal. Penal Code §§ 16930, 32900. Reviewed October 3, 2026.

What is the federal rule on forced reset triggers?

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

How many states restrict forced reset triggers?

Nationwide by our review: 32 states: no state ban; 3: unsettled; 15: restricted.

More California gun laws

Legal disclaimer: This page summarizes state law for general information and is not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter. Confirm with the California statutes, the state attorney general or a licensed attorney before buying, building or traveling.