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2004 Dangerous Weapons Control Law

12090 thru 12094 Obliteration of Identification Marks


ARTICLE 5. OBLITERATION OF IDENTIFICATION MARKS

12090. Any person who changes, alters, removes or obliterates the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification, including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department of Justice on any pistol, revolver, or any other firearm, without first having secured written permission from the department to make such change, alteration or removal shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.

12091. Possession of any pistol or revolver upon which the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number or other mark of identification has been changed, altered, removed, or obliterated, shall be presumptive evidence that the possessor has changed, altered, removed, or obliterated the same.

12092. The Department of Justice upon request may assign a distinguishing number or mark of identification to any firearm whenever it is without a manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification or whenever the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification or the distinguishing number or mark assigned by the department has been destroyed or obliterated.

12093. Any person may place or stamp on any pistol, revolver, or other firearm any number or identifying indicium, provided the number or identifying indicium does not change, alter, remove, or obliterate the manufacturer's name, number, model, or other mark of identification. This section does not prohibit restoration by the owner of the name of the maker, model, or of the original manufacturer's number or other mark of identification when such restoration is authorized by the department, nor prevent any manufacturer from placing in the ordinary course of business the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification upon a new firearm.

12094. (a) Any person with knowledge of any change, alteration, removal, or obliteration described herein, who buys, receives, disposes of, sells, offers for sale, or has in his or her possession any pistol, revolver, or other firearm which has had the name of the maker, model, or the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department of Justice changed, altered, removed, or obliterated is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any of the following:
(1) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in subdivision (a) by any member of the military forces of this state or of the United States, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of his or her employment.
(2) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in subdivision (a) by any peace officer described in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of his or her employment.
(3) The acquisition or possession of a firearm described in subdivision (a) by any employee of a forensic laboratory, while on duty and acting within the scope and course of his or her employment.
(4) The possession and disposition of a firearm described in subdivision (a) by a person who meets, all of the following:
(A) He or she is not prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition pursuant to Section 12021 or 12021.1 or paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 12316 of this code, or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(B) The person possessed the firearm no longer than was necessary to deliver the same to a law enforcement agency for that agency's disposition according to law.
(C) If the person is transporting the firearm, he or she is transporting the firearm to a law enforcement agency in order to deliver the firearm to the law enforcement agency for that agency's disposition according to law.
(D) If the person is transporting the firearm to a law enforcement agency, he or she has given prior notice to the law enforcement agency that he or she is transporting the firearm to that law enforcement agency for the agency's disposition according to law.
(E) The firearm is transported in a locked container as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 12026.2.

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