PEN §25145: (a) Beginning on January 1, 2026, a person shall ensure that any firearm the person possesses in a residence is securely stored whenever the firearm is not being carried or readily controlled by the p

(a) Beginning on January 1, 2026, a person shall ensure that any firearm the person possesses in a residence is securely stored whenever the firearm is not being carried or readily controlled by the person or another lawful authorized user. (b) A firearm is “securely stored” if it is maintained within, locked by, or disabled using a certified firearm safety device or a secure gun safe. (c) For purposes of this section and Sections 25105, 25135, 25205, 27882, and 27883, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Authorized user” has the same meaning as provided in Section 16745. (2) “Certified firearm safety device” means any firearm safety device or gun safe that is listed on the Department of Justice’s roster of tested and approved firearm safety devices certified for sale pursuant to Section 23655. (3) “Readily controlled” by a person or another lawful authorized user means either of the following: (A) The person or other lawful authorized user is carrying the firearm on their person. (B) The person or other lawful authorized user is within close enough proximity to the firearm to readily prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to the firearm. (4) “Secure gun safe” means a gun safe that meets the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 23650. (d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a violation of this section is punishable by a fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for a first violation and up to five hundred dollars ($500) for a second violation. A third and any subsequent violation is a misdemeanor. (2) A person shall not be penalized for violating this section if they secure their firearm using a firearm safety device or gun safe that they reasonably believed to meet the requirements of this section, including a firearm safety device that was certified at the time the individual purchased the device or a safe that met the standards for gun safes adopted pursuant to Section 23650 at the time the individual purchased the safe. (e) The provisions of this section are cumulative and do not restrict the application of any other law. However, an act or omission punishable in different ways by different provisions of law shall not be punished under more than one provision. (f) The Department of Justice shall seek to inform residents about the standards of storage of firearms as outlined in this section. (g) This section does not apply to unloaded antique firearms, as defined in Section 921(a)(16) of Title 18 of the United States Code, or firearms that are permanently inoperable.