California CCW License Renewal Process

A California license to carry a concealed weapon (CCW) is issued by the county sheriff (California Penal Code 26150) or a city police chief (Penal Code 26155). The license is what allows a person to carry a handgun concealed (Penal Code 25400) or loaded in public (Penal Code 25850). When a license nears the end of its term, the holder must renew through the same type of issuing authority. The core renewal rules are set statewide by the Penal Code, but each county and city builds its own application forms, online portals, fee amounts, and scheduling around that framework, so the exact steps vary by jurisdiction.

This section reflects the licensing scheme as revised by Senate Bill 2 (2023), which took effect January 1, 2024 after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Assn. v. Bruen (2022), and as further restructured by Assembly Bill 1078 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 570), effective January 1, 2026. SB 2 removed the old "good cause" requirement, replaced the "good moral character" test with an objective disqualified-person standard, and rewrote the training, fee, and processing rules described below. AB 1078 reorganized Penal Code 26150 and 26155 so that subdivision (a) covers California-resident applications, subdivision (b) sets out a pathway for non-California-resident applicants, and subdivision (c) lists the license format options. Several parts of the SB 2 package, especially the sensitive-places list, remain in active litigation, so verify current status with your issuing authority before relying on any single point.

License Term: When You Must Renew

California does not set one flat term for every license. Under Penal Code 26220, the term depends on the type of license:

• Standard license (issued under Penal Code 26150 or 26155): valid for any period not to exceed two years from the date of the license (Penal Code 26220(a)).
• Employment or business-based license issued under Penal Code 26150 where the place of employment or business was the basis for issuance: valid for not more than 90 days, and valid only in the county that issued it (Penal Code 26220(b)).
• Certain officials described in Penal Code 26220(c), such as judges and other specified individuals: valid for not more than three years.
• Custodial officers employed by the sheriff under Penal Code 831.5: valid for not more than four years (Penal Code 26220(d)).
• Reserve and auxiliary peace officers licensed under Penal Code 26170 and appointed under Penal Code 830.6: valid for not more than four years (Penal Code 26220(e)).

Because a standard license can be written for any period up to two years, check the actual expiration date printed on your license rather than assuming a full two-year term. Start the renewal early. Carrying after expiration means carrying without a valid license, which is the same as carrying with no license at all.

Who Renews and Where

Both California residents and non-residents renew through a county sheriff (Penal Code 26150) or a city or city-and-county police chief (Penal Code 26155), using the same authority that could issue a new license. A California resident renews under subdivision (a) of those sections on proof that the applicant is not a disqualified person, is at least 21, resides in (or has a principal place of employment or business in) the jurisdiction, has completed the required training, and is the recorded owner of the firearm. A non-California resident renews under subdivision (b), which requires that the applicant not be a disqualified person under California law and the comparable laws of the home state, be at least 21 with valid out-of-state identification, attest that the chosen jurisdiction is the primary California location where they intend to spend time, and complete the required training and live-fire exercises. The issuing authority then renews in one of the formats set by subdivision (c): a license to carry concealed (Penal Code 26150(c)(1) or 26155(c)(1)), or, only where the county population is under 200,000 by the most recent federal decennial census, a license to carry loaded and exposed in that county (Penal Code 26150(c)(2) or 26155(c)(2)).

Renewal Eligibility: The Disqualified-Person Standard

The controlling test for both new and renewal applicants is the disqualified-person standard at Penal Code 26202. Under Penal Code 26202(a), an applicant is deemed a disqualified person and cannot receive or renew a license if any one or more of the enumerated conditions apply, including:

• Being 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 (Penal Code 26202(a)(1)).
• A conviction, within the 10 years before the licensing authority received the completed application, for an offense listed in Penal Code 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, or 29805 (Penal Code 26202(a)(4)). Penal Code 29805 is California's 10-year firearm prohibition for a long list of specified misdemeanors.
• Being a person prohibited by state or federal law from owning or possessing a firearm. Under California law that lifetime prohibition includes any person convicted of a felony or addicted to the use of any narcotic drug (Penal Code 29800).
• Recent commitment, incarceration, probation, parole, or supervision for offenses involving controlled substances (Health and Safety Code 11053 to 11058) or alcohol within the lookback period.
• Being an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance as described in 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) and applicable federal regulations and guidance (Penal Code 26202(a)(8), added by Assembly Bill 1078, effective January 1, 2026). No conviction is required. Because marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law, this disqualifier can reach cannabis users even where the use is legal under California law. A licensing authority that finds an applicant disqualified on this ground must report the applicant to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Index within five days (Penal Code 26202(f)).
• Loss or theft of multiple firearms within the prior 10 years due to the applicant's noncompliance with storage, transport, or securing laws (Penal Code 26202(a)(10)).

Penal Code 26202(e) makes clear that these prohibitions apply whether or not the relevant conduct, order, conviction, charge, or commitment occurred before the law took effect. The pre-SB 2 "good moral character" prong is no longer the operative test. County application forms may still carry older language, but the controlling standard for renewal is Penal Code 26202.

A court may make a contrary determination under Penal Code 26206 (the disqualified-person finding applies "unless a court makes a contrary determination pursuant to Section 26206").

Assembly Bill 1078 also added a duty that runs during the license term rather than at renewal. Under Penal Code 26195(c), effective January 1, 2026, a licensee "shall inform the local licensing authority that issued the license of any restraining order or arrest, charge, or conviction of a crime referenced in Section 26202." Skipping that report has consequences at renewal. The Department of Justice tells licensing authorities in Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-13 that a license shall not be issued where the applicant "fails to inform the licensing authority that issued the license of any restraining order, arrest, charge, or conviction of a crime referenced in Penal Code section 26202," and that an existing license shall be revoked where the licensee failed to give that same notice.

Renewal Training Requirement

Renewal applicants must complete a renewal training course. Under Penal Code 26165(d), the renewal course:

• Must be no less than eight hours in length (the initial-applicant course must be no less than 16 hours under Penal Code 26165(a)(1)).
• Must satisfy paragraphs (2) through (6) of Penal Code 26165(a), which cover firearm safety and handling, safe storage, lawful transport, the laws governing where licensees may carry, lawful use of force in self-defense, a written examination, and live-fire shooting exercises with each firearm the applicant seeks to be licensed to carry.
• Must be taught and supervised by firearms instructors certified by the Department of Justice under Penal Code 31635 (except the mental-health component), per Penal Code 26165(a)(4).

A person whom the licensing authority has certified as a trainer for purposes of Penal Code 26165 is not required to take a renewal training course to renew their own license (Penal Code 26165(d)).

The licensing authority sets its own live-fire standards, including minimum rounds and passing scores (Penal Code 26165(b)). Some counties require that proof of course completion be dated within a set window (for example, within 90 days of the renewal application). That window is a county policy, not a statewide statutory rule, so confirm the requirement with your issuing authority.

Under Penal Code 26165(e), an applicant cannot be required to pay for training before the licensing authority makes its initial determination of whether the applicant is a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202(d)(1).

Processing Timeline

Penal Code 26202(d) requires the licensing authority, within 90 days of receiving the completed application for a new license or a license renewal, to give the applicant written notice of its initial determination:

• If the initial determination is that the applicant is not a disqualified person, the notice tells the applicant to proceed with the Penal Code 26165 training requirements, and the authority then submits the applicant's fingerprints or the renewal notification to the Department of Justice under Penal Code 26185 (Penal Code 26202(d)(1)). That initial determination must include a final determination as to whether the applicant is a disqualified person under the controlled-substance-user ground in Penal Code 26202(a)(8) (Penal Code 26202(d)(1)(B)).
• If the authority determines the applicant is a disqualified person, the notice states the denial and the reason, and informs the applicant of the right to request a hearing from a court under Penal Code 26206 (Penal Code 26202(d)(2)). That notice also satisfies the denial-notice requirement of Penal Code 26205.

The September 1, 2026 Renewal Gate

Assembly Bill 1078 rewrote the renewal side of the licensing process, and three changes across Penal Code 26185 and Penal Code 26205 turn on the date September 1, 2026. These are statewide statutory requirements. They bind every California sheriff and police chief regardless of what a particular county's forms, portal, or posted timeline says.

Fingerprints go in with the renewal notification. Before that date, the licensing authority sends the Department of Justice the renewal notification, with the fee prescribed by Penal Code 26190, and no fingerprints (Penal Code 26185(b)(1) and 26185(c)(1)). For each renewal notification submitted on or after September 1, 2026, the authority "shall also submit to the department fingerprint images and related information required by the department for each applicant applying for a renewal license to carry a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person" (Penal Code 26185(b)(2)).

No renewal license issues until the Department of Justice confirms eligibility. For a renewal notification submitted before September 1, 2026, the department makes the prohibited-person determination and notifies the licensing agency (Penal Code 26185(c)(2)). For a renewal notification submitted on or after that date, the department makes the determination from the applicant's fingerprints, and the statute is explicit: "No renewal license shall be issued by any licensing authority unless the department confirms the applicant's eligibility to possess, receive, own, or purchase a firearm as described in this paragraph" (Penal Code 26185(c)(3)).

The decision deadline splits by filing date. For a renewal application submitted before September 1, 2026, the licensing authority must give written notice of approval or denial "within 120 days of receiving the completed application for a license renewal" (Penal Code 26205(a)(2)). For a renewal application submitted on or after that date, that notice is due "within 120 days of receiving the completed application for a license renewal, or 30 days after receipt of the information from the department described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 26185, whichever is later" (Penal Code 26205(a)(3)). A renewal filed on or after September 1, 2026 can therefore lawfully take longer than 120 days, because the second half of that test runs from the Department of Justice result rather than from your filing date.

The Department of Justice restated the renewal notice timelines in Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-13, dated August 7, 2026, which supersedes Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-03.

Missing the Deadline: The 90-Day Lapse Rule

This rule is already in force, separate from the September 1, 2026 changes above. Under Penal Code 26225(e), added by Assembly Bill 1078 and effective January 1, 2026: "If a licenseholder fails to submit an application for renewal within 90 days of the expiration of their license, the licensing authority shall immediately request that the department terminate state or federal subsequent notification pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 11105.2." Subsequent notification is the standing service at Penal Code 11105.2(d), which is the provision Section 26225(e) directs the authority to shut off. The Department of Justice describes what that service delivers in Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-13: subsequent arrest notifications to licensing authorities, along with information as to whether the person is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm. File the renewal before your license expires, and in no event more than 90 days after it expires.

Renewal Fees

California sets the fee structure by statute but lets the dollar amounts be set locally and by the Department of Justice, so totals vary by jurisdiction. Under Penal Code 26190:

• The applicant pays a Department of Justice fee at the time of filing, set by the department and not to exceed its processing costs for the information and report required by Penal Code 26185. The department may adjust it for legislatively approved annual cost-of-living increases (Penal Code 26190(a)).
• The licensing authority charges an additional local fee equal to its reasonable costs for processing, issuing, and enforcing the license, excluding fingerprint and training costs. The first 50 percent of this local fee may be collected at filing, with the balance collected only upon issuance (Penal Code 26190(b)).
• These local fees may rise only to reflect the authority's reasonable costs and may never exceed those costs (Penal Code 26190(c)).
• An amended-license fee may be charged under Penal Code 26190(d), capped at the reasonable cost of processing the amendment (see Penal Code 26215).
• If a psychological assessment is required, the applicant is referred to a licensed psychologist and may be charged the actual cost, capped at reasonable cost. For renewal applicants, an additional assessment is required only if there is compelling evidence of a public-safety concern (Penal Code 26190(e)).

Live Scan, training, range time, ammunition, and any psychological assessment are paid to the providers separately and are generally not refundable if the application is denied. As an illustration of how counties set amounts, some jurisdictions post renewal fees in the range of roughly 75 to 100 dollars plus the separate DOJ and Live Scan costs, but you should confirm the current figure with your own sheriff or police department.

Amending a License Between Renewals

A license holder does not have to wait for renewal to change what is on the license. Under Penal Code 26215(a), a licensee may apply to the issuing authority to amend the license to:

• Add or delete authority to carry a particular handgun (Penal Code 26215(a)(1)).
• Authorize the licensee to carry concealed a handgun (Penal Code 26215(a)(2)).
• In a county with fewer than 200,000 residents per the most recent federal decennial census, authorize loaded and exposed carry in that county only (Penal Code 26215(a)(3)).
• Change restrictions or conditions on the license, including time, place, manner, and circumstances (Penal Code 26215(a)(4)).

If the authority amends the license, a new license is issued reflecting the change (Penal Code 26215(b)). An amendment does not extend the original expiration date, and the license is still due for renewal at the same time as if it had not been amended (Penal Code 26215(c)). Applying to amend a license is not the same as applying to renew it (Penal Code 26215(d)).

Change of Address and County Moves

A change of address is handled by amendment, not by waiting for renewal. Under Penal Code 26210:

• When a licensee changes address, the license is amended to reflect the new address and a new license is issued under Penal Code 26215(b) (Penal Code 26210(a)).
• The licensee must notify the licensing authority in writing within 10 days of any change of residence, and the authority must notify the Department of Justice within 10 days of receiving that notice (Penal Code 26210(b)).
• A license to carry a concealed handgun may not be revoked solely because the licensee's residence has changed to another county, as long as both of two conditions are met: the licensee has not breached any condition or restriction of the license or imposed under Penal Code 26200, and the licensee has not become prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm (Penal Code 26210(c)).
• Despite that protection, if the license was issued because 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 out of the county of issuance (Penal Code 26210(d)).
• A license to carry loaded and exposed is revoked immediately upon the licensee's change of residence to another county (Penal Code 26210(e)).

So moving to a new California county does not, by itself, end a standard concealed-carry license. The licensee updates the address by amendment (Penal Code 26215(b)), and as long as they have not broken a license condition or become prohibited, the concealed license stays valid (Penal Code 26210(c)). The two exceptions are a license whose issuance was based on the licensee's residence, which expires 90 days after the move (Penal Code 26210(d)), and a loaded-and-exposed license, which is revoked immediately on a move to another county (Penal Code 26210(e)). Someone moving into California from another state should apply through the sheriff or police chief where they will reside, because a prior out-of-state permit does not renew into a California license. Both residents and non-residents can hold and renew California licenses under Penal Code 26150 and 26155 (residents under subdivision (a), non-residents under subdivision (b)).

Where the License Lets You Carry Still Applies at Renewal

Renewing keeps a license valid, but it does not change the long list of locations where a licensee may not carry. SB 2 added an extensive "sensitive places" list at Penal Code 26230, effective January 1, 2024. A federal district court preliminarily enjoined much of that list in December 2023, but the Ninth Circuit reversed that injunction in large part in May v. Bonta and Carralero v. Bonta, with the mandate taking effect January 23, 2025. Most of the sensitive-place categories are now enforceable. Six categories remain enjoined and are not being enforced pending further appeal: hospitals and medical facilities (Penal Code 26230(a)(7)), public transit (Penal Code 26230(a)(8)), permitted public gatherings and special events (Penal Code 26230(a)(10)), places of worship (Penal Code 26230(a)(22)), financial institutions (Penal Code 26230(a)(23)), and the default rule barring carry in privately owned commercial establishments open to the public unless the operator posts a sign allowing it (Penal Code 26230(a)(26)). Because the case remains on appeal, the enforceable scope can change. Confirm the current boundaries with your issuing authority or counsel before carrying, and review the Prohibited Places section of this guide.

Public Records Note

Certain information submitted on a CCW application can be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Review the public-disclosure admonition on the Department of Justice Standard Initial and Renewal Application (BOF 4012) and ask your licensing authority what information in your file is treated as public.

Practical Renewal Checklist

• Confirm the exact expiration date printed on your current license; do not assume a full two-year term (Penal Code 26220).
• Begin the renewal process well before expiration so the 90-day initial-determination window (Penal Code 26202(d)) does not run past your expiration date.
• Expect to be fingerprinted again. Once your licensing authority submits its renewal notification to the Department of Justice on or after September 1, 2026, it must send your fingerprint images with it, and no renewal license can issue until the department confirms your eligibility (Penal Code 26185(b)(2) and 26185(c)(3)).
• If you file the renewal on or after September 1, 2026, expect a decision that can run past 120 days, because the deadline can instead be measured from 30 days after the Department of Justice eligibility result (Penal Code 26205(a)(3)).
• Do not leave a license sitting expired. Failing to file a renewal application within 90 days of expiration makes the licensing authority request termination of the Department of Justice subsequent-notification service (Penal Code 26225(e)).
• Report any restraining order, arrest, charge, or conviction referenced in Penal Code 26202 to the licensing authority that issued your license instead of waiting for renewal (Penal Code 26195(c)).
• Complete the renewal training course of at least eight hours from a Department of Justice certified instructor (Penal Code 26165(d) and 26165(a)(4)).
• Submit qualification for each firearm you want listed, and use the amendment process (Penal Code 26215) to add or drop firearms.
• Keep your address current and report any move in writing within 10 days (Penal Code 26210).
• If you move to another California county, amend your license to update the address; a concealed license is not revoked just for the move, but a loaded-and-exposed license is, and a residence-basis license can expire 90 days after the move (Penal Code 26210).
• Budget for the DOJ fee, the local fee, Live Scan, training, and range costs separately (Penal Code 26190).

This section is a general summary of California law and is not legal advice. CCW licensing and the SB 2 framework are actively litigated and administered differently in each county. Verify current requirements, fees, and forms with your issuing sheriff or police department before you act.