(a)
An officer to whom weapons are surrendered under Section 18000, except upon the certificate of a judge of a court of record, or of the district attorney of the county, that the retention thereof is necessary or proper to the ends of justice, may annually, between the 1st and 10th days of July, in each year, offer the weapons, which the officer in charge of them considers to have value with respect to sporting, recreational, or collection purposes, for sale at public auction to persons licensed pursuant to Sections 26700 to 26915, inclusive, to engage in businesses involving any weapon purchased.
(b)
If any weapon has been stolen and is thereafter recovered from the thief or the thief’s
transferee, or is used in a manner as to constitute a nuisance under Section 19190, 21390, 21590, or 29300, or subdivision (a) of Section 25700 without the prior knowledge of its lawful owner that it would be so used, it shall not be offered for sale under subdivision (a) but shall be restored to the lawful owner, as soon as its use as evidence has been served, upon the lawful owner’s identification of the weapon and proof of ownership, and after the law enforcement agency has complied with Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 33850) of Division 11 of Title 4.
(c)
If, under this section, a weapon is not of the type that can be sold to the public, generally, or is not sold under subdivision (a), the weapon, in the month of July, next succeeding, or sooner, if necessary to conserve local resources, including space and utilization of personnel who maintain files and security of those weapons, shall be destroyed so that it can no longer be used as a
weapon subject to surrender under Section 18000, except upon the certificate of a judge of a court of record, or of the district attorney of the county, that the retention of it is necessary or proper to the ends of justice.
(d)
No stolen weapon shall be sold or destroyed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (c) unless reasonable notice is given to its lawful owner, if the lawful owner’s identity and address can be reasonably ascertained.