People who have purchased firearms/have one in CFARS before they received their prohibitor are put into the APPS system. If someone has a prohibitor but not yet bought a firearm or reported theirs to DOJ will not be in APPS. They will be instead found in NICS or MHRS!
The Attorney General shall establish and maintain an online database to be known as the Prohibited Armed Persons File. The purpose of the file is to cross-reference persons who have ownership or possession of a firearm on or after January 1, 1996, as indicated by a record in the Consolidated Firearms Information System, and who, subsequent to the date of that ownership or possession of a firearm, fall within a class of persons who are prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
Cal. Pen. Code § 30000.
How the APPS Database Works
There are five databases that populate into the APPS database if they fall under the varying qualifying firearm prohibitors:
Enforcement
The Bureau of Firearms (BOF) within CA Department’s Division of Law Enforcement leads enforcement of the APPS. Each office throughout the State has its own team of Special Agents for field operations. BOF also employs Crime Analysts in each of its offices who can access APPS database and develop investigative reports on the armed and prohibited people assigned to each team of Special Agents. Their jobs require cross checking databases to confirm addresses, photos, arrest records, and current status of armed and prohibited individuals (like whether there is a Brady prohibitor alongside the state prohibitor and then working in concert with their federal law enforcement partners). Using their knowledge and expertise, the Crime Analysts translate vast amounts of data into actionable information that allows the Special Agents to do their investigations.
Using the investigative reports, Special Agents attempt to locate firearms associated with each armed and prohibited individual via a consent search, probation or parole search, or general search warrant. Often, the armed and prohibited individual will be in possession of numerous firearms, many of which were not associated with that individual in the APPS database. This could be due to the individual having: long guns purchased before 2014 reporting requirements, firearms loaned to them by another person, firearms imported from another state, antiques, illegally purchased firearms, ghost guns, or stolen/defaced firearms.
The Attorney General shall establish and maintain an online database to be known as the Prohibited Armed Persons File. The purpose of the file is to cross-reference persons who have ownership or possession of a firearm on or after January 1, 1996, as indicated by a record in the Consolidated Firearms Information System, and who, subsequent to the date of that ownership or possession of a firearm, fall within a class of persons who are prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
Cal. Pen. Code § 30000.
How the APPS Database Works
There are five databases that populate into the APPS database if they fall under the varying qualifying firearm prohibitors:
- Automated Criminal History System ACHS is the repository for state criminal database
- Wanted Persons System the statewide database of fugitives from arrest warrants
- Automated Firearms System identifies lost or stolen firearms and is the state's general database of firearms and owners. AFS tracks the serial number of every firearm owned including by various govt agencies, handled by law enforcement (seized, destroyed, held in evidence, reported stolen, recovered), voluntarily reported by individuals, or firearms handled by a firearms dealer through transactions. Prior to 2014, most entries in AFS were handguns. Since January 1, 2014, all new legally acquired firearms, both handguns and long guns, have been entered into AFS (specifically "assault style" firearms).
- California Restraining and Protective Order System statewide database of individuals subject to a restraining order and includes Domestic Violence Restraining Orders DVRO, Gun Violence Restraining Orders GVRO, and other types of restraining orders.
- Mental Health Reporting System MHRS is a database accessible by Mental Health Facilities, Superior Courts, Juvenile Courts, and Law Enforcement Agencies to report mental health prohibiting events
Enforcement
The Bureau of Firearms (BOF) within CA Department’s Division of Law Enforcement leads enforcement of the APPS. Each office throughout the State has its own team of Special Agents for field operations. BOF also employs Crime Analysts in each of its offices who can access APPS database and develop investigative reports on the armed and prohibited people assigned to each team of Special Agents. Their jobs require cross checking databases to confirm addresses, photos, arrest records, and current status of armed and prohibited individuals (like whether there is a Brady prohibitor alongside the state prohibitor and then working in concert with their federal law enforcement partners). Using their knowledge and expertise, the Crime Analysts translate vast amounts of data into actionable information that allows the Special Agents to do their investigations.
Using the investigative reports, Special Agents attempt to locate firearms associated with each armed and prohibited individual via a consent search, probation or parole search, or general search warrant. Often, the armed and prohibited individual will be in possession of numerous firearms, many of which were not associated with that individual in the APPS database. This could be due to the individual having: long guns purchased before 2014 reporting requirements, firearms loaned to them by another person, firearms imported from another state, antiques, illegally purchased firearms, ghost guns, or stolen/defaced firearms.