Burbank Bans New Gun Stores for 45 Days

AR-15 style rifles are displayed for sale at Firearms Unknown, a gun store in Oceanside, Calif., on April 12, 2021. Bing Guan/Reuters

BURBANK, Calif.—A moratorium was in effect Wednesday in Burbank barring the establishment of new or replacement gun stores, with the city council approving a pause to consider “regulatory frameworks” for such businesses.

The Tuesday night vote by the Burbank City Council followed a series of protests by residents who argued that the city has one of the highest concentrations of gun stores in the nation, with a total of 14. Last month, a group of residents held a rally outside Burbank City Hall demanding action on the issue.

In response, the council Tuesday night approved a 45-day moratorium “on the establishment of new or replacement retail businesses selling firearms or ammunition,” according to the city. During the moratorium, city staff will research possible regulations, including the following:

• limit firearms businesses by suspending the issuance and new licenses and allowing the overall number to be reduced over time through attrition
• establish additional requirements for firearms retailers seeking license renewals, or impose rules such as local inspections of inventory, transaction procedures, and security
• establish buffer zones to prevent such businesses from locating near “sensitive” sites, such as schools

“We hear and understand the community’s concerns regarding firearms and firearm retailers in Burbank, which is why City Council advocates for measures that seek to keep our community safe while also protecting an individual’s right to lawfully bear arms under the Second Amendment,” Mayor Jess Talamantes said in a statement Tuesday. “By establishing this temporary moratorium staff can further look into firearm-related measures to preserve the general welfare of our community.”

City officials also noted that the current number of firearms stores in the city has not created “an inordinate demand for public safety services.”