San Diego County law enforcement will host a gun safety event Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM at Encinitas City Hall, where residents can anonymously turn in unwanted firearms in exchange for gift cards. Handguns, rifles and shotguns qualify for $100 gift cards, while assault weapons and ghost guns are worth $200. Organizers say firearms must be unloaded and placed in vehicle trunks, deputies will provide instructions on site, and all weapons collected will be destroyed.
How the turn-in works
According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, participants can remain anonymous and no questions will be asked. People who donate handguns, rifles or shotguns are eligible for $100 gift cards, while assault weapons and ghost guns qualify for $200 cards. The Sheriff's event page also notes that deputies or officers will provide instructions at the event, and free firearm trigger locks will be available while supplies last. Organizers emphasize safety, saying firearms should be unloaded and placed in the trunk of the vehicle that drops them off.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Oceanside Police Department to get unwanted guns off our streets.
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) July 15, 2026
Join us for a Gun Safety Event on:
Saturday, July 18
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.… pic.twitter.com/J3DMbkstmj
Past events and local turnout
Gun buyback events run by the county and its partners have repeatedly taken dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of firearms out of circulation. Patch covered the upcoming Encinitas event, and ABC 10News reported that a recent turn-in at MiraCosta College produced 162 weapons. In addition, similar county drives have been tracked in past years.
What to expect at the site
Organizers ask that firearms be in working order and unloaded, and that turn-in volunteers place guns in trunks and follow directions from deputies on arrival, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. The release says any firearm linked to a crime or reported stolen will be referred to the appropriate agency and that remaining weapons will be destroyed. Free trigger locks will be distributed while supplies last, and participants may remain anonymous.
Officials say these exchanges are part of an ongoing effort to reduce the number of functional firearms in homes and public spaces while offering safer storage options for residents. Local law enforcement says the drives remove potentially dangerous weapons from circulation and put safety resources in the hands of community members.
