CALIFORNIA – California attorney general Rob Bonta issued a new law enforcement bulletin, June 2, affirming that “forced reset triggers” (FRTs) remain illegal under California law.
FRTs qualify as “multiburst trigger activators” under California Penal Code 16930, and their possession, sale, manufacture or distribution is prohibited under Penal Code 32900.
On May 13, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice settled litigation challenging the ATF’s classification of FRTs as machine guns under the National Firearms Act.
The settlement ends federal regulation of FRTs as machine guns, allowing owners to request the return of seized or surrendered devices following ATF guidelines.
However, the U.S. DOJ’s settlement does not alter the fact that FRTs remain illegal under California law.
“It is a devastating fact that in our nation, children and teens are more likely to die by gun violence than any illness or accident,” said Bonta.
He goes on to say that California’s common sense gun-safety laws save lives, and the prohibition of forced reset triggers is no exception.
FRTs allows users to shoot at a higher rate
An FRT is a device for semiautomatic firearms that speeds up trigger resets through operation of the firing cycle.
A firearm that features an FRT allows the user to shoot at a higher rate compared to a standard trigger.
Despite the U.S. DOJ’s settlement, Californians residents should not request the return of surrendered or confiscated FRTs, and dealers must refrain from selling them.
A violation of this prohibition can be a felony or misdemeanor offense.
To read the full bulletin visit https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/2025-dle-11.pdf
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