California CCW License Basics

What California Calls It

California's concealed-carry permit is the License to Carry a Concealed Weapon, usually written as the CCW license. The licensing framework is in the California Penal Code, Chapter 4 of Division 5 of Title 4 of Part 6, beginning at Penal Code 26150. It changed substantially after the U.S. Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen in June 2022 and after the Legislature passed Senate Bill 2 in 2023.

There is no constitutional or permitless carry in California. A license is required to carry a concealed firearm (Penal Code 25400) or to carry a loaded firearm in public (Penal Code 25850). Carrying without a license is a crime under those sections.

Issuing Authority

California CCW licenses are issued by county sheriffs and city police chiefs. The Department of Justice (DOJ) does not issue CCW licenses; it runs the background check, prescribes the standard forms, and certifies the instructors.

• County sheriffs issue licenses under Penal Code 26150. Subdivision (a) covers a California resident of the county, or a California resident whose principal place of employment or business is in the county. Subdivision (b) covers a non-California resident who applies to that county.
• City police chiefs issue licenses under Penal Code 26155. Subdivision (a) covers a California resident of that city or city and county. Subdivision (b) covers a non-California resident.
• A sheriff and a city police chief may agree in writing to have one of them process applications for the other (Penal Code 26150(d) and 26155(d)).
• The DOJ prescribes the uniform statewide application form (currently BOF 4012), develops the uniform license design, and certifies the instructors who may teach the required course (Penal Code 26175 and 26165(a)(4)).

Each licensing authority must publish and make available a written policy summarizing Penal Code 26150 and subdivisions (a) and (b) of Penal Code 26155 (Penal Code 26160).

A California CCW is valid throughout the state (Penal Code 26220). California does not recognize any other state's permit.

Post-Bruen and SB 2 (2023)

Until 2024, California operated a may-issue system that required applicants to show good cause and good moral character. After Bruen held that New York's analogous proper-cause requirement violated the Second Amendment, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued Legal Alert OAG-2022-02 advising licensing authorities to stop applying the good-cause requirement.

The Legislature then passed Senate Bill 2 (Stats. 2023, Ch. 249), effective January 1, 2024. SB 2 rebuilt the CCW framework. It:

• Replaced good cause and good moral character with an objective disqualified-person standard at Penal Code 26202.
• Set a hard minimum age of 21.
• Required the applicant to be the recorded owner, with the DOJ, of every handgun listed on the license.
• Changed the training minimum to no less than 16 hours, with mandatory live-fire qualification (Penal Code 26165).
• Codified a long list of sensitive places where a licensee may not carry, at Penal Code 26230.
• Added carry conditions, including no consuming or being under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance while carrying, and a two-firearm limit (Penal Code 26200).

Assembly Bill 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), effective January 1, 2026, restructured and amended Penal Code 26150, 26155, 26185, 26190, 26195, and 26205. It reorganized Penal Code 26150 and 26155 into three parts: subdivision (a) is the California resident application, subdivision (b) is a new application pathway for non-California residents, and subdivision (c) sets the two license format options (concealed carry, or loaded-and-exposed carry in a county with a population under 200,000). California now has a general non-resident CCW pathway. AB 1078 also added an express licensee reporting duty and a DOJ notification deadline at Penal Code 26195, and addressed renewal timing. The renewal-fingerprint rule keyed to September 1, 2026 comes from Penal Code 26185(b)(2) as enacted by SB 2.

Important litigation note: parts of Penal Code 26230 (the sensitive-places list) were challenged in federal court in May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta. A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction on December 20, 2023 that blocked enforcement of many categories. Effective January 23, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed that injunction in large part. The court did not stay the injunction; it reversed it. As a result, 20 of the 26 sensitive-place categories are now enforceable, and six categories remain enjoined and are not being enforced pending further appeal: hospitals and medical facilities (Penal Code 26230(a)(7)), public transit (a)(8), permitted public gatherings and special events (a)(10), places of worship (a)(22), financial institutions (a)(23), and privately owned commercial establishments open to the public, which is the default no-carry-without-a-posted-sign rule (a)(26). See the Prohibited Places section.

Who May Be Issued a CCW

California Resident Applicants (subdivision (a))

Under subdivision (a) of Penal Code 26150 (sheriffs) and Penal Code 26155 (city police chiefs), the licensing authority shall issue or renew a license to a California resident who proves all of the following:

• Not a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202.
• At least 21 years old, with clear evidence of identity and age as defined in Penal Code 16400.
• A resident of the issuing county or city, or, for a sheriff license, the applicant's principal place of employment or business is in that county and the applicant spends a substantial period of time there.
• Completed a course of training as described in Penal Code 26165.
• The recorded owner, with the DOJ, of every pistol, revolver, or other concealable firearm for which the license will be issued.

The employment or business basis is an in-state option for a California resident whose work is in a county other than the one where they live. A license issued on that employment or business basis is valid for no more than 90 days and only in the county that issued it (Penal Code 26220(b)). This is not the non-resident pathway.

Non-California Resident Applicants (subdivision (b))

Assembly Bill 1078 added a general application pathway for people who do not live in California. Under subdivision (b) of Penal Code 26150 and Penal Code 26155, the licensing authority shall issue or renew a license to a non-California resident who proves all of the following:

• Not a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202 and under all comparable statutes and provisions of law of the applicant's home state.
• At least 21 years old, with clear evidence of identity, age, and state of residence shown by a valid driver's license from the home state or a valid out-of-state DMV identification card.
• Attests, under oath, that the jurisdiction where the application is filed is the primary California location where the applicant intends to travel or spend time.
• Completed training meeting paragraphs (1) through (5) of Penal Code 26165(a) and Penal Code 26165(d). If the licensing authority has not approved an online course, the applicant may use one approved by any other licensing authority that issues these licenses.
• Completed live-fire shooting exercises under Penal Code 26165(a)(6) for each firearm to be listed. The applicant tells the authority which live-fire course they intend to complete, and the authority either approves it or suggests an acceptable alternative within 75 miles of the applicant's residence.
• Identified the make, model, caliber, and serial number of each firearm to be listed. A firearm that cannot lawfully be carried or possessed in California is cause for denial as to that firearm.

A non-resident license is issued under Penal Code 26150 or 26155 and is valid for up to two years (Penal Code 26220(a)). For a disqualified-person determination, Penal Code 26206 directs a non-resident applicant's court hearing to the county where the application was submitted.

Separate from CCW eligibility, a person who is prohibited from possessing firearms under state law (Penal Code 29800 and related sections) or federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(g)) cannot lawfully apply for or hold a CCW. The DOJ background check screens for these prohibitions, and a license cannot issue unless the DOJ reports the applicant is eligible (Penal Code 26185).

Disqualified Person Under Penal Code 26202

Penal Code 26202 sets out the disqualifying categories. Unless a court determines otherwise under Penal Code 26206, an applicant is a disqualified person and cannot receive or renew a license if any of the following apply:

1. Reasonably likely to be a danger to self, others, or the community at large, as shown by the application, the investigation, or any psychological assessment.
2. Convicted of contempt of court under Penal Code 166.
3. Subject to a listed restraining, protective, or other court order (Family Code orders under Penal Code 26202(a)(3)(A) and (B), Penal Code 136.2 or 18100, Code of Civil Procedure 527.6, 527.8, or 527.85, or Welfare and Institutions Code 213.5, 304, 362.4, 726.5, or 15657.03), unless the order expired or was vacated or otherwise canceled more than five years before the completed application.
4. In the 10 years before the completed application, convicted of an offense listed in Penal Code 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, or 29805.
5. Engaged in an unlawful or reckless use, display, or brandishing of a firearm.
6. In the 10 years before the completed application, charged with an offense listed in Penal Code 290, 667.5, 1192.7, 1192.8, or 29805 that was dismissed under a plea or a People v. Harvey waiver.
7. In the five years before the completed application, committed to or incarcerated in jail or prison for, or on supervision for, a conviction involving controlled substances (Health and Safety Code 11053 to 11058) or alcohol.
8. Currently abusing controlled substances (Health and Safety Code 11053 to 11058) or alcohol.
9. In the 10 years before the completed application, experienced the loss or theft of multiple firearms due to noncompliant storing, transporting, or securing of the firearm.
10. Failed to report a firearm loss as required by Penal Code 25250 or any other reporting law.

To make this determination, the licensing authority must conduct an investigation that includes an in-person interview with the applicant, interviews with at least three references, a review of publicly available information including the applicant's public statements, a review of the application and DOJ information, and a check of the California Restraining and Protective Order System (Penal Code 26202(b)). For renewals, the authority may forgo the applicant interview and the reference interviews.

A disqualified-person determination can be challenged by requesting a superior court hearing under Penal Code 26206. See Denial, Revocation, and Appeals below.

Application Process

Sequence varies by agency, but every California CCW application includes these elements:

1. Apply to the right authority. The sheriff of your county, or your city police chief if you live in an incorporated city. A non-California resident applies under subdivision (b) of Penal Code 26150 or 26155 to the jurisdiction that is the primary California location they intend to travel or spend time. Many agencies process applications through an online portal.
2. Complete the standard form. Applications are uniform statewide on forms prescribed by the Attorney General (currently BOF 4012) under Penal Code 26175. The form collects identifiers, prior detentions, arrests, and convictions, mental-health history, restraining-order history, prior CCW denials or revocations, and three references. At least one reference must be a person described in Penal Code 273.5(b) if applicable, and at least one must be the applicant's cohabitant if applicable. The applicant attests to the truth of the statements in the application (Penal Code 26175(f)).
3. Initial disqualified-person screening. Within 90 days of a completed application, the authority must give written notice of its initial determination of whether the applicant is a disqualified person (Penal Code 26202(d)). A favorable initial determination tells the applicant to proceed to training and fingerprinting. An applicant cannot be required to pay for training before this initial determination (Penal Code 26165(e)).
4. Live Scan fingerprinting and DOJ check. The authority submits fingerprint images to the DOJ, which runs state and federal eligibility checks (Penal Code 26185). For renewals, fingerprints are required only when the renewal is submitted on or after September 1, 2026 (Penal Code 26185(b)(2)). A new license cannot issue unless the DOJ reports the applicant is eligible (Penal Code 26185(a)(3)).
5. Local investigation. The authority conducts the reference interviews and record review required by Penal Code 26202(b).
6. Psychological assessment, if required. If the authority requires an assessment on a new application, the applicant is referred to a licensed psychologist the authority finds acceptable and may be charged the actual cost (Penal Code 26190(e)). On renewal, an additional assessment is required only if there is compelling evidence of a public-safety concern.
7. Training and range qualification. The Penal Code 26165 course, taught by a DOJ-certified instructor, including live-fire proficiency with each firearm to be listed.
8. Notice of approval or denial. The authority must give written notice within 120 days of a completed new application, or 30 days after receipt of the DOJ report, whichever is later. For renewals the deadline is 120 days from the completed renewal application (Penal Code 26205, as amended by AB 1078). A denial must state which requirement was not satisfied.
9. License pickup. The license is issued on the uniform format, or a locally approved equivalent, and shows the licensee's name, identifiers, photo, fingerprints, the authorized firearm or firearms (make, model, serial number, and caliber), and the issuance and expiration dates (Penal Code 26175(i)).

Training Requirement (Penal Code 26165)

For new applicants, the course must meet all of the following minimums (Penal Code 26165(a)):

• No less than 16 hours in length.
• Cover firearm safety, firearm handling, shooting technique, safe storage, legal methods to transport and secure firearms in vehicles, the laws on where permitholders may carry, the laws on permissible use of a firearm, and the laws on the permissible use of lethal force in self-defense.
• Include a component of no less than one hour on mental health and mental-health resources.
• Be taught and supervised by firearms instructors certified by the DOJ under Penal Code 31635. The mental-health component is the only part exempt from the DOJ-certified-instructor requirement.
• Require students to pass a written examination.
• Include live-fire shooting exercises with a demonstration of safe handling and shooting proficiency with each firearm the applicant wants on the license.

The licensing authority sets and publishes the live-fire standard, including the minimum number of rounds and the minimum passing scores at specified distances (Penal Code 26165(b)). An authority may instead require a community college course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, up to a maximum of 24 hours, but only if required uniformly of all applicants (Penal Code 26165(c)).

For renewal applicants, the course must be no less than 8 hours and must satisfy paragraphs (2) through (6) of Penal Code 26165(a). A person certified by the licensing authority as a CCW trainer is not required to retake the course to renew their own license (Penal Code 26165(d)).

Fees (Penal Code 26190)

CCW fees come in layers:

• DOJ application fee, paid at filing, set by the DOJ and limited to its processing costs for the background check and report under Penal Code 26185. The fee may rise at a rate not exceeding the DOJ's legislatively approved annual cost-of-living adjustment (Penal Code 26190(a)).
• Local processing 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; the balance is collected only on issuance (Penal Code 26190(b)).
• Amendment fee for a license amendment under Penal Code 26215, not to exceed the reasonable cost of processing (Penal Code 26190(d)).

Live Scan, training, range time, ammunition, and any required psychological assessment are paid separately to the providers and are generally not refundable if the application is denied. SB 2 authorized licensing authorities to charge the local processing fee on renewals as well as new applications.

License Validity and Types (Penal Code 26220)

Validity depends on the type of license:

• Standard CCW under Penal Code 26150 or 26155, including a non-resident license under subdivision (b): up to two years (Penal Code 26220(a)).
• In-state employment or business-based license under Penal Code 26150: up to 90 days, valid only in the issuing county (Penal Code 26220(b)).
• Judicial license for a California judge or full-time court commissioner, or a federal judge or magistrate: up to three years (Penal Code 26220(c)).
• Custodial-officer license for a custodial officer employed by the sheriff under Penal Code 831.5: up to four years, ending with employment (Penal Code 26220(d)).
• Reserve peace officer license under Penal Code 26170 (Penal Code 830.6 appointees): up to four years, ending with the appointment (Penal Code 26220(e)).

In counties with a population of fewer than 200,000 (most recent federal decennial census), the sheriff or city police chief may issue a license to carry loaded and exposed in that county only (Penal Code 26150(c)(2) and 26155(c)(2)). See the Open Carry section.

Renewal

Apply well before expiration; many agencies set their own submission windows. Renewal training is at least 8 hours (Penal Code 26165(d)). Renewal fingerprints to the DOJ are required only when the renewal is submitted on or after September 1, 2026 (Penal Code 26185(b)(2)). The licensing authority must issue notice within 120 days of a completed renewal application, with the post-September 1, 2026 renewals also tied to the DOJ response timing (Penal Code 26205, as amended by AB 1078). Fees are generally non-refundable.

Amendments and Address Changes

Under Penal Code 26215, a licensee may apply to add or delete a firearm, authorize concealed carry, authorize loaded-and-exposed carry where eligible (counties under 200,000), or change the restrictions and conditions on the license. An amendment does not extend the original expiration date and is not a renewal application.

Under Penal Code 26210, a change of address requires written notice to the licensing authority within 10 days, and the authority must notify the DOJ within 10 days of receiving that notice. A concealed-carry license is not revoked solely because the licensee moves to another county, provided the licensee has not breached any license condition and has not become firearm-prohibited. But if the licensee's place of residence was the basis for issuance, a license issued under Penal Code 26150 or 26155 expires 90 days after the licensee moves from the county of issuance. A loaded-and-exposed license is revoked immediately on a move to another county.

Denial, Revocation, and Appeals

A license shall not be issued if the DOJ determines the applicant is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm (Penal Code 26195(a)).

A licensing authority shall revoke a license if it determines, or is notified by the DOJ, that the licensee is firearm-prohibited, has breached a condition or restriction under Penal Code 26200, provided inaccurate or incomplete information on the application, fails to comply with the reporting duty in Penal Code 26195(c), or has become a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202 (Penal Code 26195(b)). If the DOJ determines a licensee is firearm-prohibited, it must notify the local authority immediately, and no later than 15 days after the determination (Penal Code 26195(d)).

Penal Code 26195(c) imposes a reporting duty: a licensee must inform the issuing authority of any restraining order, or any arrest, charge, or conviction of a crime referenced in Penal Code 26202.

For a disqualified-person determination under Penal Code 26202, the applicant may request a superior court hearing within 30 days of the notice, in the county of residence or, for non-resident applicants, the county where the application was submitted (Penal Code 26206). A licensing authority may require the applicant to exhaust an internal appeal first. At the hearing the people bear the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant is a disqualified person. For a denial or revocation based on any other requirement, the applicant may seek a writ of mandate under Code of Civil Procedure 1085 within 30 days of the notice (Penal Code 26206(i)).

Carry Conditions (Penal Code 26200)

While carrying under a CCW, a licensee shall not:

• Consume an alcoholic beverage or a controlled substance (Health and Safety Code 11053 to 11058), or be under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, medication, or controlled substance.
• Be in a place whose primary purpose is dispensing alcoholic beverages for onsite consumption.
• Carry a firearm not listed on the license, or one for which the licensee is not the recorded owner (with a narrow exception for Penal Code 26170 appointees).
• Falsely represent that the licensee is a peace officer.
• Engage in an unjustified display of a deadly weapon.
• Fail to carry the license on their person.
• Impede a peace officer, or refuse to display the license or provide the firearm for inspection on demand.
• Violate any federal, state, or local criminal law.

A licensee may not carry more than two firearms under their control at one time (Penal Code 26200(d)). The licensing authority may also impose reasonable restrictions as to time, place, manner, and circumstances, which are printed on the license (Penal Code 26200(b) and (c)). Many local policies add a magazine-capacity condition; a separate state law limits magazines to 10 rounds (Penal Code 32310, currently the subject of the Duncan v. Bonta litigation).

A breach of any Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place condition is a license violation and may also be charged independently under Penal Code 25400 or 25850.

Open Carry and Self-Defense in Brief

Open carry is generally prohibited in California. Openly carrying an exposed and unloaded handgun in public is a misdemeanor (Penal Code 26350), and openly carrying an unloaded firearm that is not a handgun is a misdemeanor in prohibited public areas (Penal Code 26400). Loaded open carry falls under Penal Code 25850. A standard CCW authorizes concealed carry; only the loaded-and-exposed license format (counties under 200,000) authorizes exposed carry, and only in the issuing county. A Ninth Circuit panel ruled in Baird v. Bonta that California's open-carry restrictions are unconstitutional, but that decision has not taken effect because the mandate has not issued; the open-carry prohibitions remain enforceable. See the Open Carry section.

California has no statutory stand-your-ground law. Penal Code 197 defines justifiable homicide, and Penal Code 198.5 creates a presumption of reasonable fear when an intruder unlawfully and forcibly enters a residence. Jury instructions CALCRIM 505 and 3470 tell jurors that a person who is not the aggressor and is lawfully present has no duty to retreat. See the Use of Force and Castle Doctrine sections.

Reciprocity and Federal Law

California does not recognize any other state's CCW. A visitor who wants to carry in California must qualify for a California license. A non-California resident may apply through the general non-resident pathway at Penal Code 26150(b) or 26155(b). See the Reciprocity section.

A California CCW does not waive any federal firearm prohibition. The federal prohibited-person categories are at 18 U.S.C. 922(g). A licensee who later becomes federally prohibited (for example, a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or an involuntary mental-health commitment) is barred from possessing a firearm regardless of the license. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, at 18 U.S.C. 926B (active officers) and 18 U.S.C. 926C (qualified retired officers), is a separate federal carry authority and is not a California license. Possession of a firearm in the sterile area of an airport or on an aircraft is governed by federal law at 49 U.S.C. 46505, in addition to California's Penal Code 171.5.

Key Statutes Reference

Practical Notes

• The Penal Code 26230 sensitive-place list was challenged in May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta. The December 20, 2023 preliminary injunction was reversed in large part by the Ninth Circuit effective January 23, 2025. As of the most recent California DOJ guidance, 20 of the 26 categories are enforceable and six remain enjoined and are not being enforced: hospitals and medical facilities, public transit, permitted public gatherings and special events, places of worship, financial institutions, and privately owned commercial establishments open to the public. Check the current California DOJ Information Bulletin before relying on any specific 26230 location. See Prohibited Places.
• California now has a general non-resident CCW pathway at Penal Code 26150(b) and 26155(b), added by AB 1078 effective January 1, 2026. The older in-state employment or business basis (a 90-day, single-county license under Penal Code 26220(b)) is a different thing.
• Some licensing authorities impose policy-level requirements stricter than state law, such as magazine caps, platform limits, modification limits, and local reporting deadlines. The statute sets the floor; the local policy can add to it.
• The renewal-fingerprint rule changes on September 1, 2026 (Penal Code 26185(b)(2)). Plan ahead if your renewal lands near that date.
• A California CCW does not waive federal law. The 18 U.S.C. 922(g) prohibitions apply regardless of the state license.

Source Information

Statutory text from California Legislative Information and FindLaw for Penal Code 26150, 26155, 26160, 26162, 26165, 26170, 26175, 26185, 26190, 26195, 26200, 26202, 26205, 26206, 26210, 26215, 26220, 26225, 26230, 25400, 25850, 26350, and 26400, including Senate Bill 2 (Stats. 2023, Ch. 249) and Assembly Bill 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570). Federal authority at 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 18 U.S.C. 926B and 926C, and 49 U.S.C. 46505. Case context: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022); May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta (sensitive-places injunction, reversed in large part by the Ninth Circuit effective January 23, 2025); Baird v. Bonta (open carry). Agency guidance from the California DOJ Division of Law Enforcement Information Bulletins, including 2025-DLE-06, and the standard application form BOF 4012.