AB 1263: Requirements for Selling Firearm Parts to California Customers
What is California AB 1263?
AB 1263 is a California law that adds compliance and verification requirements to sell and ship firearm parts or accessories to California customers.
What does AB 1263 require from ecommerce stores?
CA AB 1263 requires that eCommerce stores;
- Display a notice to buyers that they may be breaking CA firearm manufacturing laws with their purchase. The store must record the buyers acknowledgment of that notice
- Collect a government issued photo ID and confirm they are over 18
- Match the shipping address to the photo ID
- Retain the verification records & associate them with the customer order
- Require an adult signature + photo ID at delivery
Does AB 1263 apply to all sales & shipments to anyone in CA?
AB 1263 applies to any firearm part that could be used in the manufacture of a gun and shipped to customer in California.
AB 1263 does not apply to Complete firearms or parts shipped to a state-licensed firearms manufacturer (FFL).
When does California’s AB 1263 take affect?
CA AB 1263 took affect on January 1, 2026
A California Law Is Making It Harder to Sell & Ship Firearm Parts To CA Customers
California hasn’t been an easy state for firearm retailers in a long time but with the passing of AB 1263, that reality becomes even more operationally demanding. Beginning January 1, 2026, companies from outside CA who sell firearm parts and accessories into the state will be required to meet several new criteria before they can legally ship those products to California customers.
This is not a theoretical compliance issue. It directly affects checkout flows, customer data collection, fulfillment operations, and carrier relationships. For people responsible for compliance or operations, AB 1263 introduces additional complexity into an already regulated sales channel.
What AB 1263 Actually Changes
AB 1263 introduces new buyer verification and record keeping requirements for firearm parts & accessories sold to California customers. These requirements apply to eCommerce transactions which is why out-of-state manufacturers and brands need to pay close attention.
Starting January 1, 2026, qualifying accessory sales to California customers must include visible disclosure, customer acknowledgment, and proof-of-age verification tied directly to the shipping address. In practical terms, this means the checkout process itself becomes part of the compliance surface area.
Sellers are required to display a California Manufacturing Notice to the buyer and record that the buyer acknowledged it as part of the transaction. They must also collect proof that the purchaser is at least 18 years old using a government-issued photo ID. Critically, the address on that ID must match the shipping address on the order. This immediately rules out many existing “lightweight” age gates that rely on checkboxes or self-attestation.
Shipping and Fulfillment Are Now Part of Compliance
AB 1263 doesn’t stop at checkout. It extends into how products are labeled, shipped, and delivered.
Shipments to California must be conspicuously labeled to indicate that signature and proof of identification from a person aged 18 or older are required for delivery. The shipping address must match the purchaser’s identification, and the carrier must collect a signature and verify ID at the point of delivery.
For manufacturers who are used to shipping accessories the same way they ship apparel, gear, or other consumer goods, this is a meaningful shift. Fulfillment teams and shipping carriers now become compliance partners, not just logistics providers. Any breakdown in the chain such as; incorrect labeling, carrier limitations, or delivery without a signature or proper ID, can expose the seller to risk.
Operational Impact on Firearm and Accessories Brands
From an operational standpoint, AB 1263 introduces three new areas of complexity.
First, eCommerce platforms must support compliant notice display, acknowledgment capture, ID collection, and maintain purchase records including the user acceptance. None of the eCommerce platforms were designed with firearm-specific compliance in mind, especially at the state level. This often forces custom development or third-party verification services into the tech stack.
Second, fulfillment workflows must be adjusted. Signature required shipping with ID verification is not supported across all carriers or service levels. That can affect shipping costs, delivery timelines, and customer experience. It also increases the likelihood of failed deliveries, which creates downstream support and reshipment costs.
Third, customer friction increases. California buyers will encounter more steps, more disclosures, and more verification than buyers in other states. Gun companies need to anticipate this and communicate clearly, or risk abandoned carts, customer confusion, and support tickets that wipe out margins.
What Online Gun Stores Need to Do Now
January 1, 2026 has already come and gone but many of the companies we have talked to are not prepared for the complex eCommerce and fulfillment operations required by AB 1263. These new regulations create a criminal offence to the sellers, which radically raises the risk of doing business with CA customers.
It is now critical that companies selling gun parts or accessories to audit which products are affected, how California orders currently flow through checkout and fulfillment, and whether existing systems can support ID verification, acknowledgment tracking, and record retention. It’s also the right time to verify whether their shipping carriers support signature and ID verification for California deliveries.
Most importantly, business owners and operations execs should view AB 1263 as a systems problem, not just a legal one. Compliance will touch marketing, UX, development, operations, and customer support. If those teams aren’t aligned early, the cost of retrofitting compliance later will be far higher.
A Familiar Pattern for the Firearms Industry
AB 1263 is yet another escalation of compliance the firearms industry has been dealing with increasingly for years; regulation that shifts compliance responsibility to manufacturers and sellers, even when transactions occur online and across state lines. Companies that rely on platforms that weren’t built with compliance demands, insufficient budgets, or manual processes will feel this pressure most acutely.
Brands that invest in well-architected eCommerce systems which treat compliance as an operational requirement will be better positioned to continue selling into California without disruption. Many of the companies we speak with regularly have already suspended sales and shipments to California customers.
If your company sells firearm parts or accessories and California is a meaningful market, AB 1263 isn’t something to ignore. It is a concrete change with real operational consequences and the businesses that are prepared will have an advantage over those who do not.
