18+ Content Warning

By clicking Enter, you confirm you are 18 years of age or older and agree to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Notice: Any content or member activity - including anything you may buy, sell, transfer, or discuss - must comply with current and upcoming laws.

Members are encouraged to stay informed: California Firearm Laws: 2026 Outlook & 2025 Recap . Responsibility for compliance rests solely with the individual member.

caguns.net

Welcome to CAguns.net!
Join our growing community where you can ask questions, share knowledge, or browse our classifieds section.

Sign up for a free account today and unlock full access! Once registered, you can search, post, and take advantage of exclusive features unavailable to guests.

A note on why more of the site now requires an account: automated scrapers and AI systems have been crawling our forums and classifieds at a scale. Requiring sign-in for those sections is the most effective tool we have. It takes a minute to register, it's free, and it keeps what happens here between actual members.

New to California gun ownership or trying to keep up with the changing laws? Check out our sister site CA2A.com — free courses, plain-English legal updates, and step-by-step guides built for California owners.

Advanced features are available only to registered members. Register today!

FFL03 and COE work as a FSC?

Boomhauer

Active member
Messages
127
Classified ads
1
This may have been asked already, but figured someone could just give me a direct answer. I just applied for my FFL03 and COE. I also realized that my FSC card has just expired. When I went to the FFL to get my FFL03 and COE she mentioned that she won’t need that and I won’t need to renew it once this goes through. I get most people would say just to take the test and pay the fee for it but if I’m already gonna be paying the fees for the FFL03 and COE yearly and tri yearly. I figured why pay an additional fee if I don’t need to. Anybody have any experience with this?
 
only a 10 question exam can truly show the people you know a small portion of the rules of firearms
Newsom: "And that's why we're increasing the training requirements to include live fire training with a gun you don't own yet to prove you're safe to own a gun."
 
Newsom: "And that's why we're increasing the training requirements to include live fire training with a gun you don't own yet to prove you're safe to own a gun."
Son of a.... Funny enough I think it will push people to get their CCW. But wait, how does that work if you don't own anything you just have to take a class where they supply it?
 
Son of a.... Funny enough I think it will push people to get their CCW. But wait, how does that work if you don't own anything you just have to take a class where they supply it?
No clue. I think that's one of the logistical pieces they didn't care about figuring out and conflicts with other existing laws/restrictions (ones similar to why many training classes don't lend firearms anymore for intro courses where the students have no knowledge of the platform and are somehow expected to show up to class with a purchased one already).
 
Thanks for everyone’s input i guess i was told wrong information. Now I gotta make another trip to the gun store.
 
FFL03 alone is acceptable for secondary proof of residence and FFL03+COE combo grants you an exemption to the 3 in 30 rule. But no FSC exemption unless you have a CCW.
 
Last edited:
you guys are nuts if you think an 03+COE isnt a valid exemption to an FSC.

Been using mine that way for 5+ years at MULTIPLE ffls for new and c&r guns. Its 1000% acceptable by doj.
 
you guys are nuts if you think an 03+COE isnt a valid exemption to an FSC.

Been using mine that way for 5+ years at MULTIPLE ffls for new and c&r guns. Its 1000% acceptable by doj.
Yea, nobody is nuts.

I think the confusion is that some FFLs apparently accept 03+COE as an FSC exemption for everything, but that's not what DOJ's own documentation says. X13 is specifically FFL03 + COE for C&R firearms. The DOJ study guide even says “for Curio and Relic transactions only.”

So maybe you've had dealers process guns that way for 5+ years, but that doesn't make it a valid exemption under DOJ's own published rules.

If there's a DOJ source saying otherwise, post it—I'd definitely like to see it.
 
Yea, nobody is nuts.

I think the confusion is that some FFLs apparently accept 03+COE as an FSC exemption for everything, but that's not what DOJ's own documentation says. X13 is specifically FFL03 + COE for C&R firearms. The DOJ study guide even says “for Curio and Relic transactions only.”

So maybe you've had dealers process guns that way for 5+ years, but that doesn't make it a valid exemption under DOJ's own published rules.

If there's a DOJ source saying otherwise, post it—I'd definitely like to see it.
DOJ has never had an issue with it , ive been witness to DOJ audits at an FFL and they dont even bat an eye at it.

Its not a maybe. its a fact.
 
DOJ has never had an issue with it , ive been witness to DOJ audits at an FFL and they dont even bat an eye at it.

Its not a maybe. its a fact.
I'm not questioning your personal experience, but your direct experiences don't establish something as "fact" across DOJ.

More importantly, we have members reading this thread who may rely on what's posted here. I'd rather they know what DOJ's published rule actually says so they can make an informed decision, regardless of anyone's individual experience with what FFLs may have allowed in practice.

I recommend people call their FFL ahead of time and ask rather than assuming they'll accept an 03+COE in place of an FSC 👍🏼
 
Back
Top Bottom