Legal Disclaimer: Please understand that we are not lawyers and the information in this blog article is not presented as legal advice nor should it be construed as such. The content of this article is strictly meant to inform and entertain. If you need legal advice please consult an attorney. Laws change constantly and we make no promises that the information below is or will remain accurate. To protect your freedom, you must do your own research.

If Camus and Nietzche were alive in modern times they’d find great inspiration for their famous work in absurdism within the original source of man attempting to assign meaning to life’s chaos and Californian firearm regulations. California’s everchanging gun control laws change frequently and become more strict with each passing year. The versatility of AR-15s is being able to choose every component of the firearm. If you want the personal experience of building even the receiver, it is best to understand the remaining rights you have to do so without receiving an unannounced team of puppy killers from the ATF.

Do I have to serialize my 80 lower?

While many states do not require you to get serial numbers for lower receivers machined by yourself using an 80% finished receiver, California Department of Justice does demand that you receive a serial number before you begin drilling and shaping your receiver. This is required for all personal made firearms as of January 1, 2019 — the same deadline to register any firearms you made that do not have a serial number.

If you’re thinking that making your own pistol lower and applying for an 80 lower receiver serial number is a way to still have an AR pistol without paying the Californian premium, you’re out of luck. “Unsafe handgun” regulations still apply to the manufacturing of personal firearms. If you still insist on that route while the entire handgun industry’s manufacturing capability is not able to meet the two microstamping requirements then you’re either going to face the same dead end as everyone else unless you have access to Rick Sanchez’s garage.

80 lower receiver serial number requirements

The serialization requirements on any given lower receivers to be engraved include:

• Engraving must be etched 0.0003” deep into the receiver surface.
• Text size must be at least 1/16” height.
• The make and model type.
• The city and state of manufacture.
• The caliber(s) expected to be fired.
• The first and last name of manufacturer/maker.

How to get a serial number for a 80 lower

To receive a serial number from CADoJ, you must first submit a PFEC (Personal Firearm Eligibility Check Application, Form BOF 116). The PFEC is an application form for a background check through California state records — not federal. You will need to send the form with the following:

• $20 check made payable to the Department of Justice.
• California driver’s license.
• Applicant’s right thumb print(s).
• Notary seal & signature from a California notary service.

Should you have a “Federal limits apply” written on your license, you must send proof of lawful residence within the United States(such as a valid birth certificate or passport showing US citizenship or a VISA/Permanent Resident Card). Once you have accounted for all of the above, send your form and documents to:

Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms – PFEC
P.O Box 820200
Sacramento, CA, 94203-0200

For further information from CADOJ directly:Email: firearms.bureau@doj.ca.gov
Staff Services Analyst from Customer Support Center: (916) 210-2300
Firearms Division - General Information: (916) 227-7527

Apply via CFARS

After the state background check, you will need to make an account with California Firearms Application Reporting System(CFARS) to fill out a Unique Serial Number Application(USNA). Only fill out the spaces that are marked with a red *. You do not improve your chances of being approved by writing any other information.This is critical for the “Firearm Information” page.

Consider the days that it will take you to engrave and be approved by CADoJ before writing “Date of Manufacture”. You need to have the serial on the receiver component and be approved before you can begin the actual process of finishing your receiver. California Department of Justice typically takes around two weeks to approve an application.You will need to also send $15 via credit/debit for the processing fee.

Serializing 80 Lower Timeframe

Once you have been approved of all aforementioned applications, you may engrave your unique serial number onto your 80% lower (you’re supposed to do it within a week of the gun being made). After finishing your lower, take a photo of the engravement to upload onto CFARS for a finished lower that is ready to be built and used. Now, you’re all done! All that’s left is to wait and see if you ever get a visit from the ATF at all. As they are an extremely understaffed and underfunded organization the chances are low but you never know.

Legal Disclaimer

This is not legal advice. It is up to each individual buyer of Modulus Arms’ products and readers of this blog to do their own research and stay up to date with the latest laws and regulations within their respective home state and city that they reside in. You and you alone are responsible for your own actions and purchases. Modulus Arms only aims to inform the public with general information to the best of our ability and will not ship certain products to the following states: Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington D.C..