California Gun Laws

California gun laws that have been enacted are considered restrictive compared to other US state laws. As a "May Issue" state the issuance of a permit is left entirely up to the discretion of the local sheriff. This can range from no issue in mostly urban counties to "shall Issue" in rural counties. Restrictions can be placed on a permit limiting where it can be used. Enforcement of these laws varies with rural counties being more lenient and urban counties strictly enforcing all firearms laws. California law also requires all guns to be registered.

california state seal

California CCW Quick Facts

Carry In Vehicle SEE DETAILS

Must Notify Officer SEE DETAILS

Carry In State Parks SEE DETAILS

No Weapons Signs Enforced NO

Open Carry Permitted NO

Carry In Restaurants YES

Constitutional Carry NO

LICENSE ISSUED TO

Residents

STATE POLICY

May Issue

California Handgun Permit

California CCW Dashboard

year License

2000

data updated

Active CCW

0

licenses in california

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a ccw license

states that honor

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a california license

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california honors

California Reciprocity Map

CALIFORNIA

California CCW license recognition

  • Permit honored
  • Permit not honored
  • Issuing state

California CCW Reciprocity

California Reciprocity List

How Reciprocity Works In California

California will not honor any other states concealed carry permit. There are 24 states that will accept a California permit.

california state flag

California CCW Handgun Forms

Download Your Forms

California: Places Off-Limits for CCW

Places Off Limits in California

  • School grounds, colleges and universities
  • Child care facility
  • Courthouse or Court room
  • Public buildings or meetings
  • Social rehabilitation facility
  • Gun show or event if you have ammunition that fits firearm
  • State Capitol, any legislative office, any office of the Governor or other constitutional officer, or any hearing room in which any committee of the Senate or Assembly is conducting a hearing, or upon the grounds of the State Capitol, which is bounded by 10th, L, 15th, and N Streets in the City of Sacramento.
  • State wildlife management areas
  • Polling station - this includes any person, uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel or any person who is wearing a uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, who is stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without written authorization.
  • Demonstrations related to refusal to work
  • While masked to conceal your identity
  • Any place that serves alcohol for consumption
  • Cal Expo center in Sacramento
  • You may not carry a firearm if you are consuming alcohol
  • You may not display a concealed firearm
  • You cannot carry a concealed weapon not listed on the permit
  • You cannot carry a concealed weapon at times or circumstances other than those specified in the permit
  • Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by Federal Law.

Places Allowed in California

  • State parks
  • State and national forests
  • Road side rest areas
  • Vehicle
  • All areas of the state not listed as Off-Limits

California Handgun Laws To Know

YES/NO - Must Inform Officer

California gun laws do not say you must inform a law enforcement officer you are carrying a concealed firearm or that you need to carry your permit. However, some counties are putting restrictions on permits that state the holder of the permit must inform if stopped by law enforcement that they have a concealed firearm. If you have such a restriction then you must inform. It's also best practice to carry your permit and photo ID whenever you have a firearm on your person.

NO

"No Weapons" signs do not have the force of law in California. There are no legal penalties for entering a private property or business that has posted these signs. They have no force of law unless they are posted in areas that are mentioned by the law as being off limits. GunsToCarry recommends that you do not enter a property displaying a "No Weapons" sign whether the law is for or against signage. If asked to leave a property and you refuse to do so then you are breaking the law and put yourself at risk of being charged.

YES - Without a permit

You can carry a handgun in a vehicle provided you are 18 or older, you reside in California and the firearm is unloaded and stored in a locked container other than the utility or glove compartment. When the handgun is being carried to or from the vehicle it must be in a locked container.

If you have a concealed carry permit then you can carry a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

The Law Penal Code 16850

NO - with or Without a permit

Open carry is not legal even with a permit.

YES

In Restaurants That Serve Alcohol
"Yes" or "No" states if you can carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol. Some restaurants may be posted with "NO GUN" signs. Check with the staff if this means just the bar area. If we have indicated a "Yes" then it should be legal to have a meal without drinking alcohol.


The California issuing authority can put a restriction on your permit stating No Bars, if that is the case you cannot enter any place that serves alcohol.

YES

You can carry in a state park but buildings are off limits. Any building in a state park is government property and it is illegal to take a weapon inside. Carrying a firearm in a WMA (wildlife management area) is illegal. State Parks: YES State/National Forests: YES State Game Management Units: NO - Fish & Game code 10500 Road Side Rest Areas: YES

More Details

History Of California Gun Laws

antique pistol

Learn California's Gun History

1917

First gun control Act.

1924

Dealers are required to report all sales to the state.

1924

All concealed weapons become illegal without a permit.

1967

All guns that are loaded are banned in public.

1969

State preemption law enacted banning local authorities from regulating firearms.

1990

First assault weapons laws enacted after school shooting in Stockton.

1991

All private sales of firearms must now be processed through a licensed dealer.

1997

Waiting period to purchase firearms modified to 10 days. Originally set in 1923 at 1 day was then increased in 1955 to 3 days, then 5 days in 1965, 15 days in 1975 and then back down to 10 days in 1997 which is still the current law.

1998

Anyone moving to California must register their handguns within 60 days. This was modified to include the recording of long guns sales and serial numbers in 2014.

2000

Second assault weapons laws enacted banning large magazines.

2000

Law enacted that limits purchases of concealed firearms to one every 30 days per person.

2011

Open carry of an unloaded handgun is banned.

2013

Open carry of an unloaded long gun banned.

2014

All long guns must now be registered.

2015

You now need a test and safety certificate for long gun purchases.

2019

Law enacted that now requires persons to be at least 21 years old to purchase any type of firearm - handgun, long gun and shotguns.

California Gun Sales & Preemption

Private Gun Sales

All private gun sales in California must be processed through a licensed dealer. All sales of firearms whether private or from a shop are recorded by the state and the purchaser must wait 10 days before obtaining the firearm.

Preemption

Local government authorities are prohibited under California law from enacting regulations to control firearms. As they cannot directly regulate firearms a number of local authorities have regulated ammunition, such as Los Angeles who regulate that a magazine for rifles or handguns not hold more than 10 rounds. Other local authorities have banned the discharge of firearms and setup zoning restrictions on gun shops and firing ranges.

California Gun Statutes

California does not have a provision in their constitution to protect the right to own and bear firearms.

california state capitol building

California State Capitol Building

California Statutes on CCW

Off-Limits Statutes

No person at a gun show or event, other than security personnel or sworn peace officers, shall possess at the same time both a firearm and ammunition that is designed to be fired in the firearm. Vendors having those items at the show for sale or exhibition are exempt from this prohibition.

Other CCW Statutes

California CCW FAQ's

Concealed carry permits are issued by the county Sheriff or Chief of Police in your county of residence.

California CCW Contact

California Bureau of Firearms

Hours

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

Saturday Closed

Sunday Closed

Contact

Address 4949 Broadway

City Sacramento, CA 95820

Phone (916) 227-7527

Updates & Data Sources

Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is not legal advice but is merely a starting point for your own research. It is up to you to decide what the best course of action is for your circumstances. We are not lawyers, if you'd like individualized legal advice, we'd be happy to refer you to some law practices with known firearm specializations. It is crucial that you understand the law before you carry a firearm. Also, remember that just because a statute may clearly say one thing or another, that doesn't mean all members of law enforcement know it. That also goes for lawyers and even judges too.