When a Gun Safe is Required

• When purchasing a firearm in the state of California, generally the purchaser must show the seller that the he owns a gun trigger lock approved by the California Department of Justice. The exception to this rule is if the buyer owns a gun safe. Therefore, a gun safe is only required if the purchaser does not have a gun trigger lock. The safe must either be approved as an Underwriters Laboratory Residential Security Container, or be capable of containing the firearms and providing a secure means for their storage, in addition to satisfying all other requirements set forth here.
  
  

Construction of the Safe

• The safe must be durable enough to withstand repeated use. If the safe features only one wall, the exterior wall must consist of at least 12-gauge steel. If the safe features two walls, the total thickness of the walls must be at least 1/10 inch. The door of the safe must feature at least a single layer of 7-gauge steel of reinforced construction or a minimum of two layers of 12-gauge steel compound. The door hinges must be protected to guard against the removal of the door.
  
  

Combination Lock

• The safe must be equipped with either a mechanical or electronic combination lock that features at least 10,000 potential combinations. The combinations must consist of at least three numbers, letters or symbols. The lock itself must be concealed behind a drill-resistant plate or drill-resistant material.
  
  

Bolt Design

• The bolt design must consist of at least three individual steel bolts that are activated by a handle secured with its own lock. Each bolt must be at least 1/2 inch thick, and must extend from the door of the safe into the body of the safe, or from the body of the safe into the door.