Trump administration sues to block California Glock ban, handgun roster

The Trump administration sued California in federal court on Wednesday to halt the state’s new Glock ban and block enforcement of the handgun roster, two rules that shape what Fresno County residents can buy from licensed dealers. The Justice Department alleges both measures violate the Second Amendment, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said California cannot ban “the most popular type of handgun in America.”

Assembly Bill 1127 took effect July 1, 2026, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it in October 2025. The law bars licensed dealers from selling certain semiautomatic pistols that can be readily converted into machine guns. The separate handgun roster limits which firearms may be sold by licensed dealers.

Fresno County has more than 17,500 concealed-carry permit holders, the most of any county in California. The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office had more than 14,000 active permits in 2023 and more than 12,000 in mid-2025, and Sheriff John Zanoni has urged residents to understand the value of CCW permits for self-defense. The office also raised permit fees, with new rates taking effect Nov. 19, 2025.

If the federal challenge succeeds, Fresno gun dealers could gain access to more pistols barred by the new law, and buyers would have more choices under a less restrictive roster. If the lawsuit fails, the California DOJ Bureau of Firearms continues to regulate firearm manufacture, sales, ownership, safety training and transfers.

In Boland v. Bonta, a federal challenge to California’s handgun roster produced a partial preliminary injunction in March 2023 that blocked the state’s microstamping requirement and reopened access to some semiautomatic pistols. In April 2026, the California DOJ tied updated gun-violence data to record reductions in gun violence. The new federal suit puts two California gun rules before a federal judge in the Central District of California.