This section points you to the controlling sources for California concealed-carry law and summarizes the statewide licensing framework. California is the...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
California CCW Resources
California CCW Resources
This section points you to the controlling sources for California concealed-carry law and summarizes the statewide licensing framework. California is the most heavily litigated firearm-law state, so several rules below are subject to active court challenges. Where a statute or part of a statute has been enjoined or otherwise limited by a court, that is flagged. Always confirm the current enforceable status with your issuing agency and the California Department of Justice before you rely on any single rule.
Authoritative Government Sources
California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms - https://oag.ca.gov/firearms - the controlling state-level source for CCW issuance rules, the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) process, the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale, the Firearm Safety Certificate program, and DOJ-certified instructor information.
California Legislative Information - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ - the official statute text. Read the Penal Code section directly rather than relying on a summary, because California amends these provisions frequently.
Your issuing authority - the county sheriff (Penal Code 26150) or city police chief (Penal Code 26155) publishes the operative application process, fee schedule, training standards, and license conditions for that jurisdiction. The issuing agency and the license itself control over any general summary.
CCW reciprocity - California does not recognize any other state's carry permit. There is no inbound reciprocity. See the RECIPROCITY section for the controlling rule.
DOJ Information Bulletins - the DOJ publishes Information Bulletins that set out enforcement guidance and track the status of litigation affecting the Penal Code 26230 sensitive-places list. Parts of that list were enjoined in December 2023, then the Ninth Circuit reversed the injunction in large part, with six categories still enjoined. Check the most recent bulletin (currently 2025-DLE-06) for the currently enforceable scope.
Statewide Licensing Framework (Post-SB 2, effective January 1, 2024)
California is a shall-issue carry state. Under Penal Code 26150 the sheriff, and under Penal Code 26155 a city police chief, shall issue or renew a license to carry a concealed firearm to a qualified applicant. AB 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), effective January 1, 2026, restructured both statutes into separate resident and non-resident pathways:
Subdivision (a) governs a California resident application. The resident must prove all of the following.
Subdivision (b) governs a non-California-resident application. California now has a general non-resident CCW pathway, so an out-of-state applicant is no longer limited to an employment or business basis. The non-resident must meet a parallel set of conditions, including compliance with the comparable firearm laws of their home state, identity and age proof, an attestation about where they will spend time in California, the training and live-fire requirements, and identification of each firearm to be carried.
For a California resident under subdivision (a), the applicant must prove all of the following:
The applicant is not a disqualified person under the standard in Penal Code 26202 (Penal Code 26150(a)(1) / 26155(a)(1)).
The applicant is at least 21 years of age and presents clear evidence of identity and age (Penal Code 26150(a)(2) / 26155(a)(2)).
The applicant is a resident of the county or a city within the county, or has a principal place of employment or business there (Penal Code 26150(a)(3)); for a city police chief, the applicant is a resident of that city or city and county (Penal Code 26155(a)(3)).
The applicant has completed the training course described in Penal Code 26165 (Penal Code 26150(a)(4) / 26155(a)(4)).
The applicant is the recorded owner, with the Department of Justice, of each firearm for which the license will be issued (Penal Code 26150(a)(5) / 26155(a)(5)).
The license is issued in one of two formats under subdivision (c). The standard format is a license to carry a concealed handgun (Penal Code 26150(c)(1) / 26155(c)(1)). In a county with a population under 200,000, the issuing authority may instead issue a license to carry loaded and exposed within that county only (Penal Code 26150(c)(2) / 26155(c)(2)).
After the post-Bruen, SB 2 changes, the issuing authority no longer evaluates "good cause." Issuance now turns on the objective disqualifier standard in Penal Code 26202 plus the training and ownership requirements above.
Disqualifying Factors (Penal Code 26202)
Penal Code 26202(a) makes an applicant a disqualified person, unless a court rules otherwise under Penal Code 26206, if any one or more of the following applies. This list replaces the old discretionary standard and should be read in full at the statute. The categories include:
Being reasonably likely to be a danger to self, others, or the community, as shown by the application, the agency investigation, or a psychological assessment (26202(a)(1)).
A conviction for contempt of court under Penal Code 166 (26202(a)(2)).
Being subject to certain restraining or protective orders, unless the order expired or was canceled more than five years before the completed application (26202(a)(3)).
A conviction within the prior 10 years for an offense listed in Penal Code 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, or 29805 (26202(a)(4)).
Unlawful or reckless use, display, or brandishing of a firearm (26202(a)(5)).
Within the prior 10 years, a charge for an offense listed in Penal Code 290, 667.5, 1192.7, 1192.8, or 29805 that was dismissed by plea or Harvey waiver (26202(a)(6)).
Within the prior 5 years, commitment, incarceration, probation, parole, or supervision resulting from a conviction involving controlled substances or alcohol (26202(a)(7)).
Being an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) (26202(a)(8)).
Currently abusing a controlled substance or alcohol (26202(a)(9)).
Within the prior 10 years, loss or theft of multiple firearms due to the applicant's failure to store, transport, or secure them lawfully (26202(a)(10)).
Failure to report a lost or stolen firearm as required by Penal Code 25250 or other law (26202(a)(11)).
Separately, anyone who cannot lawfully possess a firearm cannot be licensed. A felon is prohibited from possessing firearms under Penal Code 29800(a)(1); a person convicted of a qualifying domestic-violence or other specified misdemeanor is prohibited for 10 years under Penal Code 29805; and federal law adds a lifetime prohibition for a domestic-violence misdemeanant under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). The Department of Justice firearms-eligibility check required by Penal Code 26185 screens for these state and federal prohibitions during the application.
There is no separate two-DUI disqualifier in Penal Code 26202. A DUI history matters only to the extent it falls within one of the categories above (for example, the controlled-substance or alcohol provisions, or the danger-to-self determination).
Training Requirement (Penal Code 26165)
New applicants must complete a course of no less than 16 hours (Penal Code 26165(a)(1)).
The course must cover firearm safety and handling, shooting technique, safe storage, lawful transport and vehicle securing, the laws on where a licensee may carry, and the laws on the permissible use of force in self-defense (Penal Code 26165(a)(2)).
It must include a component of no less than one hour on mental health and mental-health resources (Penal Code 26165(a)(3)).
It must be taught and supervised by an instructor certified by the Department of Justice under Penal Code 31635 (Penal Code 26165(a)(4)), include a written examination (26165(a)(5)), and include live-fire shooting exercises with a proficiency demonstration for each firearm to be listed (26165(a)(6)).
Renewal applicants must complete a course of no less than 8 hours that satisfies paragraphs (2) through (6) of subdivision (a) (Penal Code 26165(d)).
The issuing authority sets and publishes its live-fire standard, including the minimum round count, passing score, and firing distances (Penal Code 26165(b)). The exact qualification format varies by jurisdiction and instructor, so confirm it with your issuing agency.
Fees (Penal Code 26190)
California sets CCW fees by cost recovery, not by a fixed statutory dollar amount. The fees authorized by Penal Code 26190 are:
A Department of Justice application fee that may not exceed the department's processing costs (26190(a)).
A local fee equal to the licensing authority's reasonable costs to process, issue, and enforce the license, excluding fingerprint and training costs. The first 50 percent may be collected at filing and the balance only on issuance (26190(b)).
An amendment fee not to exceed the reasonable cost to process the amendment (26190(d); see Penal Code 26215 for amendments).
The actual cost of a psychological assessment, if the licensing authority requires one (26190(e)).
Real-world total cost (state fee, local fee, training, Live Scan fingerprinting, and any psychological-assessment fee) commonly runs several hundred dollars and varies by county. Separate from the CCW fees, a firearm purchase carries a DROS fee and a Firearm Safety Certificate cost, both set by Department of Justice regulation; confirm the current amounts at oag.ca.gov/firearms.
What Is Listed on a CCW
Only handguns may be listed on a California CCW. No long guns.
The applicant must be the recorded owner of each listed handgun in the Department of Justice records (Penal Code 26150(a)(5) / 26155(a)(5)).
A licensee may not carry a firearm not listed on the license, and may not carry more than two firearms at one time (Penal Code 26200(a)(4) and (d)).
Adding, deleting, or changing a listed firearm or a license condition requires a license amendment (Penal Code 26215). An amendment does not extend the original expiration date (Penal Code 26215(c)).
Carry Conditions and License Restrictions (Penal Code 26200)
Penal Code 26200(a) prohibits a licensee, while carrying, from doing any of the following: consuming or being under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance; being in a place whose primary purpose is on-site alcohol service; carrying a firearm not listed on the license; falsely claiming to be a peace officer; engaging in an unjustified display of a deadly weapon; failing to carry the license on the person; refusing to display the license or present the firearm for inspection on a peace officer's demand; impeding a peace officer; or violating any federal, state, or local criminal law.
Penal Code 26200(b) also lets the licensing authority add reasonable restrictions on the time, place, manner, and circumstances of carry. Any such restriction is printed on the license (26200(c)). The published conditions of your issuing agency and the license itself control, so confirm them with that agency.
License Term and Ongoing Obligations
Term and renewal. A standard license is valid for up to 2 years from the date of issue (Penal Code 26220(a)). A license issued on an employment or business basis is valid for up to 90 days (26220(b)); a license issued to a judge or magistrate is valid for up to 3 years (26220(c)); and certain custodial-officer and reserve-peace-officer licenses run up to 4 years (26220(d), (e)). Renewal requires the 8-hour renewal course (Penal Code 26165(d)).
Amendments. Apply to the licensing authority to add or remove a firearm or change a condition (Penal Code 26215).
Decision timeline. The licensing authority must notify the applicant of approval or denial within 120 days of a completed application, or 30 days after it receives the Department of Justice background-check results, whichever is later (Penal Code 26205(a)). A denial notice must state the requirement that was not met (26205(b)). The agency also gives an initial disqualification determination within 90 days (Penal Code 26202(d)).
Sensitive Places (Penal Code 26230)
Penal Code 26230, added by SB 2 and effective January 1, 2024, lists 26 categories of locations where a licensee may not carry. A December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction from the United States District Court for the Central District of California, in May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta, blocked enforcement of several categories. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit reversed that injunction in large part (the consolidated decision that also resolved Wolford v. Lopez), and the mandate took effect January 23, 2025. The court did not stay the injunction. It reversed it as to most categories, so those provisions are now enforceable. As confirmed by DOJ Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06, 20 of the 26 categories are currently in effect and 6 remain enjoined.
Currently enforceable categories include:
Gun-free school zones under Penal Code 626.9 (26230(a)(1)).
Preschools and childcare facilities (26230(a)(2)).
Buildings under the control of a state executive or legislative branch officer (26230(a)(3)).
Court buildings (26230(a)(4)).
Local government buildings (26230(a)(5)).
Adult and juvenile detention and correctional institutions, prisons, and jails (26230(a)(6)).
Bars and establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption (26230(a)(9)).
Playgrounds and public or private youth centers (26230(a)(11)).
Parks, athletic areas, and athletic facilities open to the public (26230(a)(12)).
Most land controlled by the Department of Parks and Recreation or Department of Fish and Wildlife (26230(a)(13)).
College and university grounds (26230(a)(14)).
Casinos and other gambling or gaming establishments (26230(a)(15)).
Stadiums and arenas (26230(a)(16)).
Public libraries (26230(a)(17)).
Airports and passenger-vessel terminals (26230(a)(18)).
Police, sheriff, and highway patrol stations (26230(a)(24)).
Polling places, voting centers, and ballot-counting locations (26230(a)(25)).
The following six categories remain enjoined under the December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction. They are not being enforced pending further appeal, so do not treat them as operative no-carry rules right now:
Hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, medical offices, urgent care, and similar medical facilities (26230(a)(7), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Public transit, including buses, trains, and transit-authority property funded in whole or part with public funds (26230(a)(8), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Permitted public gatherings and special events (26230(a)(10), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship, unless the operator posts a sign allowing licensed carry (26230(a)(22), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Financial institutions (26230(a)(23), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Any other privately owned commercial establishment open to the public. This is the default no-carry rule that would bar licensed carry unless the operator posts a sign expressly allowing it (26230(a)(26), currently enjoined and not being enforced).
Because the litigation continues, the enforceable scope can change. Confirm the present status through the latest DOJ Information Bulletin and your issuing agency before carrying near any listed location. Penal Code 26230(b) and (c) also let a licensee transport a firearm locked in a compliant lock box through many of these areas and store it in a locked lock box, out of plain view, within a vehicle in a parking area.
Open Carry and Carry Without a License
Carrying a concealed firearm without a license is generally a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both, and becomes a felony where the person is a prohibited person, the firearm is stolen and known to be stolen, the person is an active criminal-street-gang participant, or similar aggravating facts apply (Penal Code 25400(c)).
Carrying a loaded firearm in public is similarly a wobbler under Penal Code 25850(c), with the base offense charged as a misdemeanor (up to one year and a $1,000 fine) and felony treatment for prohibited persons and the other aggravators listed in the statute.
Open carry of a handgun in public is generally prohibited by Penal Code 26350, and open carry of a loaded or unloaded long gun in public is prohibited by Penal Code 26400.
Related California Purchase and Possession Rules
These overlays apply to acquiring and owning firearms in California regardless of CCW status. Several are in active litigation; cite the statute and verify the current status.
Dealer transfer for private sales. Most firearm transfers between private parties must run through a licensed dealer (Penal Code 27545).
Waiting period. A 10-day waiting period applies before a buyer may take delivery of a firearm (Penal Code 26815 and 27540).
Firearm Safety Certificate. A buyer generally must hold a valid Firearm Safety Certificate to acquire a firearm (Penal Code 31610 et seq.); the certificate test is administered by a DOJ-certified instructor (Penal Code 31635).
Ammunition. Ammunition purchases require a point-of-sale eligibility check through the Department of Justice (Penal Code 30370).
Unsafe Handgun Act and Roster. Only handguns certified for sale may be sold by dealers (Penal Code 31900 et seq.). The roster's microstamping requirement was struck down in Boland v. Bonta, and the broader scheme remains in litigation.
Large-capacity magazines. Penal Code 32310 restricts magazines over 10 rounds. This ban is the subject of the long-running Duncan v. Bonta litigation; verify the current enforceable status.
Assault weapons. California restricts so-called assault weapons (Penal Code 30515 definition, 30605 possession, 30900 registration). These provisions are challenged in Miller v. Bonta; verify the current status.
Self-Defense Law
Justifiable homicide. Penal Code 197 sets out when a homicide is justifiable, including resisting an attempt to murder or to commit a felony, or to do great bodily injury.
Home presumption. Penal Code 198.5 gives a resident a presumption of reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily injury when using deadly force against someone who unlawfully and forcibly enters the home.
No duty to retreat. California has no statutory stand-your-ground law. Instead, the standard jury instructions (CALCRIM 505 and 3470) tell jurors that a person who is not the aggressor and is acting in lawful self-defense has no duty to retreat and may stand their ground. This is a jury-instruction rule, not a Penal Code section.
Common Location Prohibitions to Know
Gun-Free School Zone. Penal Code 626.9 prohibits possession of a firearm in a school zone, subject to its exceptions.
State and local government buildings. Penal Code 171b restricts firearms in state and local public buildings and certain meetings.
Sterile airport areas. Penal Code 171.5 restricts weapons in the sterile area of an airport or a passenger-vessel terminal.
Federal law independently governs the secured area of an airport and aircraft; carrying or attempting to carry a weapon into a secured area or on board is a federal offense under 49 U.S.C. 46505.
Application Process (General Framework)
The exact process varies by issuing agency, but generally:
Submit the application to the county sheriff or city police chief. Many California agencies use an online portal.
Complete the Penal Code 26165 training course (16 hours for a new license) from a DOJ-certified instructor.
Pass the live-fire range qualification set by the issuing authority.
Complete Live Scan fingerprinting.
Submit to the Department of Justice background check (Penal Code 26185).
Complete any interview and character-reference checks the agency requires (Penal Code 26202(b)).
Pay the applicable fees (Penal Code 26190).
Receive a decision within the timeline in Penal Code 26205.
Non-Citizens
California's CCW eligibility standard in Penal Code 26202 does not add a citizenship requirement beyond what federal and state firearm-possession law already impose. A lawful permanent resident or other lawfully present non-citizen who is not federally prohibited (see 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5)) and not otherwise disqualified may apply.
Key Statute References
Penal Code 25400 - carrying a concealed firearm without a license (wobbler)
Penal Code 25850 - carrying a loaded firearm in public (wobbler)
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