Shops need a dangerous weapons permit to sell ARs , AKs , and the like , but dangerous weapon permits take at least a year to get . No , a DWP is only required for a shop to possess an Assault Weapon or . 50 BMG firearms , NFA items , etc . Compliant ARAKetc firearms that pass the PC 30500 requirements for nonAssault Weapons will still be allowed . What the DOJ is doing is telling shops that if they have unsold bullet button weapons on 12312016 , they need to either have a DWP when they turn into AWs the next day , or they better be compliant with PC 30500 as nonAssault Weapons . Unlike end users , shops don ' t get a year to dick around with their bullet button guns figuring out what they intend to do . They have until the clock strikes 12 midnight on New Year ' s Day to either get rid of them or make them compliant . Informing them that a DWP permit takes a year to get is DOJs way of saying no , you can ' t just submit a form with a check to buy more time , a DWP is an ordeal . And it is an ordeal . A relative of mine is an NFA items dealer in California sells to law enforcement and he says the DOJ Dangerous Weapons Permit approval process is 100 times more ridiculous than even the ATF . The CA DOJ actually demanded to see architectural plans and photographs of construction to prove that the floor of his gun vault had thick enough concrete to prevent someone tunneling in .