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NRA Files Lawsuit Over Assault Rifles in CA, Again

By George Khoury, Esq. on September 12, 2017 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A recent lawsuit filed in the Fresno Superior Court by the National Rifle Association challenges the actual registration requirements for California assault rifle owners. The lawsuit attacks the requirements enacted by the state's department of justice in response to the legislation passed last year.

Along with the other NRA lawsuits challenging the ban on high capacity magazines and other aspects of the new gun control laws in the state, this most recent case seeks to invalidate the registration requirement on the grounds that the information sought is just overly invasive.

What's Required for Registration

According the lawsuit, the requirements require that assault rifle owners explain not just who they are and what they own, but also where and how their weapons were obtained, and to send in a photograph of the actual weapon. The lawsuit claims the California DOJ overstepped their authority in enacting these overly burdensome requirements.

The new law's requirements don't simply apply to traditional assault rifles, but also weapons that have a "bullet button." These devices are designed to make reloading by changing magazines simpler. They were developed in response to a requirement that magazine loaded weapons be partially disassembled in order to change a magazine (meaning no fast reloading, a characteristic of an assault rifle).

Further, the NRA is challenging regulations regarding the registration of homemade firearms as well as the prohibition on modifying an already registered firearm. Much like the overly burdensome registration requirements, it's argued that these regulations overstepped the authority granted to the DOJ by the legislation.

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