Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in San Diego County. San Diego runs from the Navy piers and the border crossing at San Ysidro up into the chaparral and oak of the back country. Buyers here pick up at dealers in the city or out toward El Cajon, Santee and Escondido.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where California law allows.
California stacks several steps on top of the federal check. Most buyers need a valid Firearm Safety Certificate: a 30-question test, 23 correct to pass, $25, good for five years, with a hunting licence exempting long-gun buyers only. Every sale runs through a dealer as a Dealer Record of Sale, with a state fee of $37.19 and a wait of ten 24-hour periods before delivery. New handguns must appear on the Department of Justice Roster of Certified Handguns. Since April 1, 2026 a dealer may not deliver a fourth firearm inside any 30-day window, with exceptions for peace officers, licensed collectors, court-ordered relinquishments and replacing a reported stolen gun.
Dealers in these communities all work for San Diego-area buyers:
A concealed carry licence comes from the San Diego County Sheriff or from the police chief of the city where you live. Since SB 2 took effect in January 2024 there is no good-cause test. Instead the issuing office decides whether you are a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202, interviews you in person, and speaks to at least three character references. New applicants complete at least 16 hours of training with live fire and an hour on mental health; renewals take at least eight hours. Licences run up to two years. SB 2 also bars carry in a long list of sensitive places, parts of which courts have blocked.
Deer is the main big-game season. CDFW splits the state into Zone A across the coast and western valleys, the B and C zones through the north, the D zones down the Sierra and the southern ranges, and draw-only X zones in the northeast and eastern Sierra. Zone A opens earliest in the summer and most B, C and D zones run in autumn. Premium and X-zone tags come out of the Big Game Drawing, while general tags sell over the counter until quotas fill. Non-lead ammunition is required to take any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California. Check the current CDFW mammal hunting regulations for 2026-27 dates.
Deer Zone D-16 covers the Cleveland National Forest and the Palomar and Laguna country east of the city. Mule deer, quail and dove are the main draws, with waterfowl on the coastal lagoons.
The Cleveland National Forest, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and the Anza-Borrego desert are all inside a two-hour drive of downtown.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, San Diego or anywhere in San Diego County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
Yes, in almost every case. The test is 30 questions, you need 23 right, it costs $25 and the certificate is valid for five years. A current California hunting licence stands in for it, but only for rifles and shotguns.
No. Handguns, rifles and shotguns go to a licensed California FFL that you choose. You complete Form 4473 and the Dealer Record of Sale there, and the 10-day wait starts when the dealer submits it.
No. Ammunition must be delivered to a licensed California ammunition vendor, who runs an in-person eligibility check before handing it over. The standard check is $5 and the basic check is $19.
Ten 24-hour periods from the moment the Department of Justice accepts the dealer's Dealer Record of Sale. A concealed carry licence does not shorten it, and you must collect within 30 days or the check expires.
The San Diego County Sheriff, or the police chief of the city where you live. Both work to the same SB 2 standards, including at least 16 hours of training, an interview and character references.
San Diego County sits in a CDFW deer zone, but public ground close to the big metros is thin and many cities and counties restrict discharging a firearm. Check the current CDFW mammal hunting regulations and local ordinances before you plan a hunt.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our California gun law overview and check with San Diego County Sheriff or your city police department or a local attorney about your own situation.