California Concealed Carry Training Requirements

Overview

California is a licensed shall-issue carry state. A person who wants to carry a concealed firearm in public must obtain a California Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) license. The license is issued by the sheriff of the applicant's county under Penal Code 26150, or by the chief or other head of a municipal police department under Penal Code 26155, or by either one where the two agencies have an agreement to process applications. Carrying a concealed firearm without a license is a crime under Penal Code 25400, and carrying a loaded firearm in public without a license is a crime under Penal Code 25850.

Every CCW applicant, whether applying for a new license or a renewal, must complete a course of training before the license is issued. The minimum requirements for that course are set by Penal Code 26165. The current version of Penal Code 26165 took effect on January 1, 2024 as part of Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), the legislation California enacted after New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022). SB 2 substantially expanded the required training and created a state Department of Justice (DOJ) instructor certification framework.

One sequencing point matters. Under Penal Code 26202, subdivision (d)(1), the licensing authority first makes an initial determination, within 90 days of a completed application, of whether the applicant is a disqualified person. Only after the applicant clears that initial determination does the applicant proceed with the training requirements of Penal Code 26165. Consistent with this, Penal Code 26165, subdivision (e), provides that an applicant is not required to pay for any training course before that initial disqualification determination is made.

Course of Training Requirements (Penal Code 26165)

Minimum Course Length

• New (initial) applicants: The course must be no less than 16 hours in length (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(1)).
• Renewal applicants: The course must be no less than 8 hours in length and must satisfy the content, instructor, examination, and live-fire requirements of paragraphs (2) through (6) of subdivision (a) (Penal Code 26165, subd. (d)). A person whom the licensing authority has certified as a trainer for purposes of this section is not required to take a renewal course to renew their own license.
• Optional community college course: Notwithstanding the above, a licensing authority may instead require a community college course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), up to a maximum of 24 hours, but only if it is required uniformly of all license applicants without exception (Penal Code 26165, subd. (c)).

Required Course Content

The training course must include instruction on all of the following topics (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(2)):

• Firearm safety
• Firearm handling
• Shooting technique
• Safe storage of firearms
• Legal methods to transport firearms and to secure firearms in vehicles
• The laws governing where permitholders may carry firearms
• The laws regarding the permissible use of a firearm
• The laws regarding the permissible use of lethal force in self-defense

Mental Health Component

The course must include a component, no less than one hour in length, on mental health and mental health resources (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(3)). This is the only portion of the course that may be taught by a person who is not a DOJ certified firearms instructor.

Instructor Requirement

Except for the mental health component, the course must be taught and supervised by firearms instructors certified by the California DOJ pursuant to Penal Code 31635, or in a manner prescribed by regulation (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(4)). The DOJ has implemented this through the CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor framework in the California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 4410 and following sections.

Written Examination

The course must require students to pass a written examination demonstrating their understanding of the covered topics (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(5)). The examination tests understanding of the subjects listed in subdivisions (a)(2) and (a)(3).

Live-Fire Requirement

The course must include live-fire shooting exercises on a firing range and a demonstration by the applicant of safe handling of, and shooting proficiency with, each firearm the applicant is applying to be licensed to carry (Penal Code 26165, subd. (a)(6)). Each issuing authority must establish, and make available to the public, the standards it uses for the required live-fire exercises, including a minimum number of rounds to be fired and minimum passing scores from specified firing distances (Penal Code 26165, subd. (b)).

Course Completion

Applicants must obtain a certificate or proof of completion from an approved course before the license is issued. Because the live-fire standards and the lists of acceptable courses are set locally, approved-instructor and approved-course information is maintained by the individual issuing authority (county sheriff or city police chief).

CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor Requirements

Effective January 1, 2024, an instructor who teaches the Penal Code 26165 course (other than the standalone mental health component) must be a CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor. The requirements below come from the DOJ Bureau of Firearms and the California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 4410.

Basic Qualifications

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Hold a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE), as proof of the ability to lawfully possess firearms in California, which must be obtained before applying (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4410, subd. (a)).
• Provide a copy of a valid California driver license or California identification card issued by the DMV.
• If that ID shows "FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY" on the front, also present proof of lawful presence in the United States using a document listed in California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 4045.1, subdivision (b), referenced by section 4410, subdivision (b).

Training Certification Requirement

The applicant must submit a copy of an active or unexpired training certification from one of the following (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4410, subd. (c)):

1. Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), Department of Consumer Affairs - Firearm Training Instructor
2. Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) - Firearms Instructor, Rangemaster, or Concealed Carry Tactics Instructor
3. Authorization from a State of California accredited school to teach a firearm training course
4. California Highway Patrol or California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Firearms Instructor, Weapons Instructor, or Rangemaster
5. National Rifle Association (NRA) - Law Enforcement Instructor, or Basics of Personal Protection Outside the Home Instructor (the latter must additionally be both an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and an NRA Personal Protection in the Home Instructor)

Live-Fire Shooting Qualification

Within six months before submitting the application, both initial and renewal instructor applicants must pass a live-fire shooting qualification course on a firing range. The shooting course must be administered by someone certified by one of the following (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4410, subd. (d)):

• BSIS Firearm Training Instructor
• Federal Government Certified Rangemaster or Firearm Instructor
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Firearm Instructor Training Program or Rangemaster
• United States Military MOS as a marksmanship or firearms instructor (assignment as a Range Officer or Safety Officer is not sufficient)
• POST Firearms Instructor, Rangemaster, or Concealed Carry Tactics Instructor
• A State of California accredited school authorized to teach a firearm training course
• CHP or CDCR Firearms Instructor, Weapons Instructor, or Rangemaster
• NRA Law Enforcement Instructor, or Basics of Personal Protection Outside the Home Instructor (with the additional NRA certifications noted above)

Conflict of interest rule: An applicant may not administer their own shooting qualification (Form BOF 1034, Rev. 02/2024).

Certification Duration and Renewal

• The CCW Program DOJ Instructor Certification is valid for four years, provided the instructor maintains a valid COE (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4410, subd. (e)).
• The COE must be renewed annually for the certification to remain valid.
• There is no DOJ fee for the instructor application itself, although the COE has its own fees.

FSC Program vs. CCW Program

The Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) Program is separate from the CCW Program. Being certified as an FSC Program DOJ Certified Instructor does not automatically qualify a person as a CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor. A person may apply for certification under either program, or both, independently. An existing FSC instructor certification was not ended by the January 1, 2024 CCW instructor requirements.

Peace Officer Exemption

Any active or honorably retired peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, who is certified as a Firearms Instructor by POST may provide the Penal Code 26165 course without applying for DOJ certification. Reserve peace officers appointed under Penal Code 830.6 do not qualify for this exemption (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4412).

Grounds for Instructor Certification Revocation

A CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor's certification will be revoked for any of the following (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, sec. 4411, subds. (a)-(b)):

• The instructor made false statements on the application.
• The training course fails to meet the minimum hourly length required by Penal Code 26165, subdivisions (a)(1) or (d).
• The training course fails to include instruction on the topics listed in Penal Code 26165, subdivision (a)(2).
• The instructor fails to require students to pass a written examination demonstrating understanding of the topics listed in Penal Code 26165, subdivisions (a)(2) and (3).
• The training course fails to include the live-fire shooting exercises, safe handling demonstration, or demonstration of shooting proficiency required by Penal Code 26165, subdivision (a)(6).
• Public safety may be endangered if the instructor were to retain the certification.

Any person may notify the DOJ if they believe a certified instructor's certification should be revoked, stating the supporting facts and providing any relevant documents or evidence. Replacement instructor certificates are available at no cost by emailing [email protected].

Applicant Eligibility (in Brief)

Training is one of several conditions for a CCW license. To be issued a license under Penal Code 26150 or 26155, an applicant must, among other things:

• Be at least 21 years of age and present clear evidence of identity and age, as defined in Penal Code 16400 (Penal Code 26150, subd. (a)(2); 26155, subd. (a)(2)).
• Be a resident of the issuing county or city, or have a principal place of employment or business there (Penal Code 26150, subd. (a)(3); 26155, subd. (a)(3)).
• Complete the Penal Code 26165 training course (Penal Code 26150, subd. (a)(4); 26155, subd. (a)(4)).
• Be the recorded owner, with the DOJ, of the firearm for which the license will be issued (Penal Code 26150, subd. (a)(5); 26155, subd. (a)(5)).
• Not be a disqualified person under Penal Code 26202, and not be prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm (Penal Code 26195, subd. (a)).

Penal Code 26202 sets out the objective disqualifiers that replaced the discretionary "good cause" and "good moral character" standards used before Bruen and SB 2. They include, among others, being reasonably likely to be a danger to self, others, or the community; certain restraining or protective orders that have not expired or been canceled more than five years before the completed application (Penal Code 26202, subd. (a)(3)); specified recent convictions or charges; current abuse of, or recent custody, probation, or parole connected to, controlled substances or alcohol; and certain firearm loss or reporting failures. The licensing authority must also conduct an investigation that includes an in-person interview and character reference interviews (Penal Code 26202, subd. (b)). A full treatment of these disqualifiers appears in the Permit Basics section.

The standard CCW license is valid for a period not to exceed two years from the date of issuance (Penal Code 26220, subd. (a)); shorter or longer terms apply to employment-based licenses, judges, and certain officers. The licensing authority must give written notice approving or denying the application within 120 days of a completed application, or 30 days after receiving the DOJ report, whichever is later (Penal Code 26205, subd. (a)).

Key Legal References

Additional Notes

• Application form for instructors: CCW Program DOJ Certified Instructor applicants apply using Form BOF 1034 (Rev. 02/2024), available through the DOJ Bureau of Firearms forms page. The COE application and instructions are available on the Bureau of Firearms website.
• Local variation: Because live-fire standards and approved-course lists are set by each issuing authority, training hours actually offered, round counts, and passing scores can vary between counties and cities even though the statutory minimums are uniform. Confirm specifics with your local sheriff or police department.
• Ongoing litigation: Several provisions of SB 2, particularly the sensitive-places carry restrictions in Penal Code 26230, have been challenged in federal court (for example, May v. Bonta) and parts have been enjoined or stayed at various points. The training requirements in Penal Code 26165 have generally remained in effect, but applicants and instructors should verify the current enforcement status of any SB 2 provision with their local issuing authority and the California DOJ before relying on it.

This content is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Verify all requirements with your local issuing authority and the California DOJ Bureau of Firearms.