Amended  IN  Assembly  May 20, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1589

Introduced by Assembly Member Chen

January 15, 2026

An act to amend Section 33415 of the Penal Code, relating to firearms.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1589, as amended, Chen. Firearms: silencers.
Existing law makes it a felony for any person, firm, or corporation to possess a silencer within this state. Existing law exempts specified actions from those provisions, including the possession of silencers by specified peace officers employed by specified law enforcement agencies or by military or naval forces, when on duty and when the use of silencers is authorized by the agency and is within the course and scope of their duties.
This bill would further exempt from the prohibition on possessing silencers specified level I reserve peace officers.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 33415 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

33415.
 Section 33410 shall not apply to, or affect, any of the following:
(a) The sale to, purchase by, or possession of silencers by agencies listed in Section 830.1, or the military or naval forces of this state or of the United States, for use in the discharge of their official duties.
(b) The possession of silencers by regular, salaried, full-time peace officers who are employed by an agency listed in Section 830.1, or by the military or naval forces of this state or of the United States, when on duty and when the use of silencers is authorized by the agency and is within the course and scope of their duties.
(c) The possession of silencers by level I reserve peace officers, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 832.6, who are deputized or appointed by an agency listed in Section 830.1, when on duty and when the use of silencers is authorized by the agency and is within the course and scope of their duties. duties, if the silencer is owned by a law enforcement agency, and affixed to a rifle owned by a law enforcement agency, listed in Section 830.1.
(d) The manufacture, possession, transportation, or sale or other transfer of silencers to an entity described in subdivision (a) by dealers or manufacturers registered under Chapter 53 (commencing with Section 5801) of Title 26 of the United States Code and the regulations issued pursuant thereto.