Can I get an expungement so that I am eligible for a handgun in California?

Go to the juvenile court clerk. It should have been sealed. If so you can own a gun. If not get your PD or lawyer to get sealed. If you need more info call.

No, expungement does not restore firearm rights, if that was your question. Any felony and many violent misdemeanor convictions bar you for life from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition, under both state and federal law. So does a restraining order on your record. If you are uncertain, you should go to the firearms dealer and pay them to do a non purchase eligibility check on you. If DOJ says you cant buy a gun, that is the end of the trail for you. You can consider getting the conviction expunged. It would help in getting employment for the rest of your life. If youre serious about doing this, and you think you qualify, feel free to contact me for the legal help you'll need.

A Juvenile Law adjudication does not qualify as a conviction. You should seal your juvenile record as soon as possible. It is impossible to say what will happen when the gun shop runs your DROS. You never know what will be on your DOJ rap sheet or how things were recorded. Again, if you were prosecuted as a juvenile, the case did not result in a 'conviction'. I do not have the form in front of me, but I do not believe that you have to indicate juvenile adjudications on the application. The exception would be if you were convicted of a violent crime pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 707(b) and were at least sixteen years old at the time of the offense. That type of conviction would follow you into adult life and would affect your record as an adult.