California Concealed Carry Laws Overview

The Headline Answer

California is a shall-issue state for concealed carry licenses, but the details are what matter. To carry a concealed firearm in public in California you must hold a state-issued License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW), issued by the sheriff of your county under California Penal Code 26150 or by your city police chief under California Penal Code 26155. There is no constitutional or permitless carry. California does not honor any other state's carry permit. New-applicant training runs at least 16 hours under California Penal Code 26165, and the sensitive-place list at California Penal Code 26230 is one of the most extensive in the country.

This page is a map of California concealed carry law. Use it to find which detailed section of this guide answers your question, then go there. Every topic introduced here has its own section with full statutory citations, procedures, and penalty grades.

How California Got Here

For decades, California operated a may-issue CCW system that required applicants to show "good cause" beyond a generalized desire for self-defense. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), holding that "proper cause" requirements for public carry violate the Second Amendment. California then stopped applying the good-cause requirement.

The Legislature responded with Senate Bill 2 (Stats. 2023, Ch. 249), effective January 1, 2024. SB 2 rebuilt the CCW framework. It replaced "good cause" with an objective disqualified-person standard at California Penal Code 26202, set a firm minimum age of 21, expanded the training minimum to at least 16 hours with mandatory live-fire qualification under California Penal Code 26165, codified an objective sensitive-place list at California Penal Code 26230, tightened reporting duties on licensees, and required CCW course instructors to be certified by the Department of Justice under California Penal Code 31635. The Legislature has continued to amend this chapter. Assembly Bill 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), effective January 1, 2026, restructured Penal Code 26150 and 26155 to add a general non-resident application pathway and to set out the license-format options. Confirm the current statutory text before relying on a procedural detail.

Two litigation threads shape the current landscape and are covered below: the May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta challenges to the Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place list (consolidated on appeal with Hawaii's Wolford v. Lopez), and ongoing challenges to California's open-carry prohibitions. Because key questions remain in active litigation, treat the enforceable scope of contested provisions as a moving target and verify the current status through the California DOJ Division of Law Enforcement (DOJ-DLE) Information Bulletins before relying on any single rule.

The Two California Carry Licenses

California issues two formats of license under the same chapter of the Penal Code:

1. Concealed CCW under California Penal Code 26150 (sheriff) or 26155 (city police chief). Authorizes a licensee to carry a loaded concealed handgun in California, subject to the Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place list and any conditions placed on the license. This is the license most students will pursue.

2. Loaded-and-exposed (open carry) license, available under the same Penal Code 26150 or 26155 only where the county population is less than 200,000 according to the most recent federal decennial census (Penal Code 26150(c)(2), 26155(c)(2)). It authorizes loaded, exposed handgun carry within the issuing county only. It is not available in California's large counties. The same application process, training, and disqualified-person standard apply. See the Open Carry section.

A California CCW does not waive any federal firearm prohibition. Federal law applies regardless of the state license.

Who May Carry, Who May Not

Under Penal Code 26150 and 26155, the sheriff or city police chief shall issue or renew a CCW. For a California resident applicant (subdivision (a) of each statute), the authority must issue or renew upon proof of all of the following:

• The applicant is not a disqualified person under California Penal Code 26202.
• The applicant is at least 21 years old, with clear evidence of identity and age.
• Residence: For a county license under Penal Code 26150, the applicant must be a resident of the county (or a city within it), or the applicant's principal place of employment or business must be in the county and the applicant must spend a substantial period of time there. For a city license under Penal Code 26155, the applicant must be a resident of that city or city and county; the city statute does not include an employment-or-business alternative.
• The applicant completed the training course under California Penal Code 26165.
• The applicant is the recorded owner, with the California DOJ, of each handgun to be listed on the license.

California now has a general non-resident CCW pathway. Under subdivision (b) of Penal Code 26150 and 26155 (added by AB 1078, effective January 1, 2026), a non-California resident may apply to a county sheriff or city police chief for a new license or renewal. The non-resident applicant must not be a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202 and the comparable laws of their home state, must be at least 21, must present a valid driver's license or DMV-issued identification card from their state of residence, and must attest under oath that the chosen jurisdiction is the primary location in California where they intend to travel or spend time. The non-resident applicant must complete the training required by paragraphs (1) to (5) of Penal Code 26165(a) and subdivision (d), complete live-fire shooting exercises for each listed firearm under Penal Code 26165(a)(6), and identify the make, model, caliber, and serial number of each firearm to be listed. Federal law independently bars firearm possession by unlawfully present aliens and most nonimmigrant-visa holders (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5)); a person federally prohibited cannot lawfully hold or use a CCW.

The disqualifying categories at Penal Code 26202 are extensive and the licensing authority must investigate, including an in-person interview, interviews with at least three character references, a review of publicly available information, and a records review (Penal Code 26202(b)). Categories include: being reasonably likely to be a danger to self, others, or the community; a contempt-of-court conviction under Penal Code 166; certain restraining or protective orders (unless expired, vacated, or canceled more than five years before the completed application); conviction in the past 10 years of an offense listed in Penal Code 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, or 29805; unlawful or reckless use, display, or brandishing of a firearm; certain charges in the past 10 years dismissed by plea or Harvey waiver; certain controlled-substance or alcohol history in the past 5 years; current substance abuse; loss or theft of multiple firearms in the past 10 years due to noncompliant storage or transport; and failure to report a firearm loss as required by California Penal Code 25250. A denied or revoked applicant may seek review in superior court under Penal Code 26206. See the Permit Basics section for the full list.

A separate set of federal and state firearm prohibitions disqualifies a person independent of CCW eligibility. Under California law, a felony conviction (and conviction of certain misdemeanors involving violence or firearms) bars firearm possession (the state prohibited-persons framework begins at California Penal Code 29800). Under federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(g)), prohibited persons include felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, persons adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, unlawfully present aliens, persons dishonorably discharged, persons who renounced U.S. citizenship, persons under qualifying domestic-violence restraining orders, and persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. A person under indictment for a felony is separately restricted by 18 U.S.C. 922(n). A California CCW waives none of these prohibitions.

The Major Statutes at a Glance

A handful of Penal Code sections do most of the heavy lifting in California carry law. This is the high-level map:

This is a map, not a reference. The detailed treatment of each statute is in its dedicated section.

Sensitive Places: The Penal Code 26230 List

SB 2 added an objective list at California Penal Code 26230 of locations where a CCW holder may not carry. The statute names more than two dozen categories, including K-12 school zones (by cross-reference to Penal Code 626.9), preschools and childcare facilities, state government buildings, courthouses, local government buildings, jails and prisons, hospitals and medical facilities, public transit, places that sell alcohol for on-site consumption, permitted public gatherings, playgrounds and youth centers, parks and athletic areas, parks land controlled by State Parks or Fish and Wildlife, college and university property, gambling establishments, stadiums and arenas, public libraries, airports and passenger-vessel terminals, amusement parks, zoos and museums, nuclear facilities, places of worship, financial institutions, law enforcement stations, polling places, and, by default, privately owned commercial establishments open to the public unless the operator posts a sign permitting carry. Penal Code 26230(b) and (c) preserve a licensee's ability to transport and store a locked, secured firearm in a vehicle and its parking area for most categories. Not every category on this statutory list is currently enforceable: six categories remain blocked by a preliminary injunction. The enforcement status is set out next.

The enforceable scope of this list is contested and has shifted during litigation. A December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in May v. Bonta (No. 23-4354) and Carralero v. Bonta (No. 23-4356) blocked enforcement of many Penal Code 26230 categories. On appeal, consolidated with Hawaii's Wolford v. Lopez, the Ninth Circuit reversed that preliminary injunction in large part (mandate effective January 23, 2025). Per California DOJ-DLE Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06, the Ninth Circuit's ruling made Penal Code 26230 enforceable as to nine additional locations effective January 23, 2025 (subdivisions (a)(9), (11) to (13), (15) to (17), (19), and (20), covering places that serve alcohol, playgrounds and youth centers, parks and athletic areas, most State Parks and Fish and Wildlife land, gambling establishments, stadiums and arenas, public libraries, amusement parks, and zoos and museums). Eleven categories were never enjoined and remain enforceable (subdivisions (a)(1) to (6), (14), (18), (21), (24), and (25), covering school zones, preschool and childcare facilities, state executive and legislative buildings, court buildings, local government buildings, detention centers, colleges and universities, airports and passenger-vessel terminals, nuclear facilities, police stations, and polling places). Twenty of the 26 categories are therefore in effect. As of that bulletin, six categories remain subject to the December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction and are not being enforced as interim relief: hospitals and medical facilities (Penal Code 26230(a)(7)), public transit (a)(8), permitted public gatherings (a)(10), places of worship (a)(22), financial institutions (a)(23), and privately owned commercial establishments open to the public (the default rule at (a)(26)).

This is preliminary, not final, relief, and it can change as the case proceeds. The DOJ-DLE Information Bulletins are the live wire on which Penal Code 26230 categories are presently enforceable. Confirm the latest bulletin before relying on any specific location. A breach of any enforceable Penal Code 26230 condition is grounds for revocation under Penal Code 26200 and may be charged independently under Penal Code 25400 or 25850. The detailed list and current enforcement status are in the Prohibited Places section.

Training, Application, Fees in Brief

For new applicants, California Penal Code 26165 requires a course of at least 16 hours that is, except for the mental-health component, taught and supervised by firearms instructors certified by the DOJ under Penal Code 31635. The course must cover firearm safety, handling, shooting technique, safe storage, lawful transport and securing firearms in vehicles, the laws on where permitholders may carry, and the laws on the permissible use of force in self-defense. At least one hour must address mental health and mental-health resources. The course requires a written examination and live-fire shooting exercises with a demonstration of safe handling and shooting proficiency for each firearm the applicant wants on the license. For renewal, the course must be at least 8 hours and satisfy paragraphs (2) through (6) of subdivision (a). An applicant cannot be required to pay for training before the licensing authority's initial determination that the applicant is not a disqualified person (Penal Code 26165(e)).

The application uses the uniform statewide form prescribed by the Attorney General under California Penal Code 26175. New applicants submit Live Scan fingerprints to the DOJ for state and federal eligibility checks (Penal Code 26185). Under Penal Code 26185(b)(2), renewal notifications submitted on or after September 1, 2026 also require Live Scan; earlier renewals follow the prior process. The licensing authority must give an initial disqualification determination within 90 days (Penal Code 26202(d)) and must approve or deny within 120 days of a complete new application, or 30 days after the DOJ report, whichever is later (Penal Code 26205).

CCW fees come in layers under California Penal Code 26190: a DOJ application fee capped at the DOJ's processing costs and adjustable only for legislatively approved cost-of-living increases, a local processing fee equal to the licensing authority's reasonable costs (collected half on filing, half on issuance), and amendment fees. Live Scan, training, range time, ammunition, and any required psychological assessment under Penal Code 26190(e) are paid to the providers and are generally not refundable on denial. A psychological assessment may be required on a new application; on renewal it may be required only on compelling evidence of a public-safety concern. See the Fees and Costs section for current numbers.

Standard licenses are valid for up to two years under California Penal Code 26220. Longer maximum terms apply to certain judges and court commissioners (up to three years) and to certain custodial and reserve peace officers (up to four years); an employment-or-business-based license is limited to 90 days and to the issuing county. Loaded-and-exposed licenses are valid only in the issuing county.

Reciprocity: California Honors None

California does not honor any other state's concealed carry permit. Only a license issued under California's own chapter (commencing at Penal Code 26150) authorizes concealed carry here. A visitor carrying on an out-of-state permit risks prosecution under California Penal Code 25400 (unlicensed concealed carry) or, if loaded, Penal Code 25850 (loaded carry in public). A non-resident who wants to carry concealed in California must apply for a California non-resident license under subdivision (b) of Penal Code 26150 or 26155.

The reverse is more permissive: a number of other states recognize a California CCW, some fully and some with restrictions, and several permitless-carry states allow any qualifying adult to carry. Recognition changes frequently. Do not rely on a fixed list. Verify the destination state's Attorney General guidance before traveling, and see the Reciprocity section for the current breakdown.

The Federal Layer

Two pieces of federal law sit on top of California carry law and matter for every CCW student.

Federal prohibited persons. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), the prohibited categories are felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, persons adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, unlawfully present aliens, persons dishonorably discharged, persons who have renounced U.S. citizenship, persons under qualifying domestic-violence restraining orders, and persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. A separate provision, 18 U.S.C. 922(n), restricts persons under indictment for a felony. A California CCW waives none of these. A licensee who later becomes federally prohibited (a qualifying conviction, a domestic-violence restraining order, an involuntary mental-health commitment) is barred from firearm possession regardless of the license.

LEOSA. The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act authorizes qualified active law enforcement officers (18 U.S.C. 926B) and qualified retired officers (18 U.S.C. 926C) to carry concealed across state lines, independent of state CCW reciprocity, if they meet the federal qualification standards. LEOSA is a federal authority, not a California exemption; departmental procedures for issuing the required credentials vary, so check with the relevant agency.

Airports and aircraft. Carrying into the secured area of an airport or onto an aircraft is governed by federal law at 49 U.S.C. 46505, in addition to California's restriction on airport property at Penal Code 26230(a)(18) and the sterile-area rule at Penal Code 171.5. A CCW does not authorize carry past a TSA checkpoint.

Recent Legislative and Judicial Context

Two threads track in parallel and any California CCW instructor should follow them:

SB 2 (2023), effective January 1, 2024. The statutory rebuild that converted California from may-issue with good-cause to shall-issue with the disqualified-person standard. It set the 16-hour training minimum, codified the Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place list, tightened licensee reporting duties, and required DOJ-certified instructors. AB 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), effective January 1, 2026, then restructured Penal Code 26150 and 26155, adding a general non-resident application pathway at subdivision (b) and setting the license-format options at subdivision (c) (concealed at (c)(1); loaded-and-exposed in a county under 200,000 at (c)(2)).

The Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place litigation. The December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction in May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta, consolidated on appeal with Wolford v. Lopez, was reversed in large part by the Ninth Circuit (mandate effective January 23, 2025). As reflected in DOJ-DLE Bulletin 2025-DLE-06, nine additional categories became enforceable effective January 23, 2025, eleven categories were never enjoined (so 20 of 26 are in effect), and six categories (hospitals and medical facilities, public transit, permitted public gatherings, places of worship, financial institutions, and the private-property-open-to-the-public default rule) remain under the preliminary injunction as interim relief. This relief is preliminary and could shift again. Check the latest DOJ-DLE bulletin before relying on any single category.

Open carry. California's open-carry prohibitions remain in force: openly carrying an unloaded handgun in public is a misdemeanor under California Penal Code 26350, carrying an unloaded firearm that is not a handgun in public is a misdemeanor under Penal Code 26400, and loaded public carry is barred by Penal Code 25850. These prohibitions have been the subject of Second Amendment litigation. Court orders in this area do not take effect until the appellate court issues its mandate, and the DOJ has instructed agencies that the open-carry restrictions remain in effect pending further court action. Anyone tempted to open carry based on a court decision should confirm the current status through the latest DOJ-DLE bulletin first, because carrying before a decision is final risks prosecution under Penal Code 25850, 26350, or 26400.

Other California-Specific Rules a CCW Student Should Know

A California CCW does not waive any of the following, which apply at point of purchase, possession, and transport. Each has its own section in this guide, and several are themselves in active litigation:

• 10-day waiting period on firearm transfers (California Penal Code 26815 and 27540). There is no walk-out exception for permit holders.
• Universal background checks. Non-dealer transfers must generally go through a licensed California dealer (California Penal Code 27545), with limited intrafamilial exemptions.
• Unsafe Handgun Act and roster of handguns certified for sale (California Penal Code 31900 and following). The microstamping requirement was struck down in Boland v. Bonta; verify the current roster rules.
• Large-capacity magazine ban on magazines over 10 rounds (California Penal Code 32310), the subject of long-running litigation in Duncan v. Bonta. Separately, a licensing authority may impose magazine or other conditions on a CCW under Penal Code 26200(b); the 10-round limit itself comes from Penal Code 32310, not from Penal Code 26200.
• Assault weapons restrictions and registration (California Penal Code 30515, 30605, and 30900), challenged in Miller v. Bonta.
• Ammunition purchase background check at the point of sale (California Penal Code 30370). A CCW does not satisfy the ammunition check.
• Lost or stolen firearm reporting within five days (California Penal Code 25250). Failure is a CCW disqualifier.
• No carry while under the influence of alcohol, medication, or a controlled substance, and no carrying a firearm not listed on the license, under California Penal Code 26200.
• Self-defense. California recognizes justifiable homicide in self-defense at California Penal Code 197 and a home-intrusion presumption at California Penal Code 198.5. California has no statutory "stand your ground," but the standard jury instructions (CALCRIM 505 and 3470) tell jurors that a person who is not the aggressor has no duty to retreat and may stand their ground. See the Use of Force and Castle Doctrine sections.
• Gun-free school zones (California Penal Code 626.9), state and local government buildings (Penal Code 171b), and the sterile airport area (Penal Code 171.5).

For storage, transport, and vehicle-carry rules, see the Storage, Transport, and Vehicle Carry sections.

Quick-Reference: Which Section Answers Your Question

Practical Notes

• The detailed sections are the source of truth. This overview is a compressed summary. The sensitive-place list at Penal Code 26230, the disqualified-person standard at Penal Code 26202, the transport exemption at Penal Code 25610, the use-of-force framework, and the open-carry penalty grades each have their own section with the operative statutory text and current case-law status.
• The DOJ-DLE Information Bulletins are the live wire. When sensitive places, open carry, or licensing procedure shifts, the DOJ Division of Law Enforcement issues a bulletin. Confirm the latest before relying on a contested rule for an actual encounter.
• Local policy matters. California Penal Code 26160 requires every licensing authority to publish a written CCW policy, and a licensing authority may add reasonable conditions under Penal Code 26200(b). Read your issuing authority's policy.
• A California CCW does not waive federal law. The 18 U.S.C. 922 prohibitions apply regardless of the state license.
• California honors no out-of-state permit. Visitors and new residents must qualify through a California sheriff or city police chief, including through the non-resident pathway at subdivision (b) of Penal Code 26150 and 26155.

Source Information

This overview synthesizes the published California sections of this guide against primary text. Statutory authority comes from the California Penal Code as enacted and amended by Senate Bill 2 (Stats. 2023, Ch. 249) and Assembly Bill 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), including Penal Code 25400, 25610, 25850, 26150, 26155, 26162, 26165, 26170, 26175, 26185, 26190, 26195, 26200, 26202, 26205, 26206, 26210, 26220, 26225, 26230, 26350, 26400, 25250, and 29800, plus Penal Code 171b, 171.5, and 626.9. Enforcement status of the Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place list reflects California DOJ Division of Law Enforcement Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 and the Ninth Circuit's consolidated decision in Wolford v. Lopez (which decided the May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta appeals). Case-law context: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022); the May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta preliminary injunction of December 20, 2023; and ongoing litigation in Duncan v. Bonta, Miller v. Bonta, and Boland v. Bonta. Litigation in this area is active; verify the current status of any contested provision before relying on it.