California gun permit laws regulate the use of firearms in the state.

Therefore, to apply for a permit in the state, you must be familiar with these gun laws and other requirements you must fulfill.

California Gun Permit Summary

California is a May-issue state for firearm licenses. The local police or office of the sheriff is in charge of the application process.

To buy firearms in the state, you must have a purchase permit after completing a criminal record background check.

The state does not issue a license to non-residents.

• Recommended Reading: California Gun Laws

How To Get A Gun Permit In California?

Application for California gun permit is valid for those that are twenty-one years old or more without any prohibition to use firearms.

However, the state permit is not for open carry.

California Gun Permit Laws

The open carry law in California is quite complicated. Therefore, a lot of people refer to it as a partial open carry state.

This is because the state government prohibits the possession of firearms in the state, but a county with more than two hundred thousand people can issue a license for open carry within the boundary.

However, California pistol permit law is not valid for open carry in the state. There are also places indicated as off-limits for the possession of firearms, either open or concealed carry.

The state also allows assault weapons, but there must be a permit from the department of justice, the person must have a good cause for the possession of these firearms, and comply with all federal regulations while doing so.

California Pistol Permit Requirements

To apply for California gun license, you must fulfill the following requirements provided by gun laws in the state:

• You must be at least twenty-one years old.
• You must be morally upright.
• You must have a good reason for applying for the permit, and for concealed carry too.
• You must reside in California or be an employee of any organization in the state.
• You must underdo the mandatory firearm training conducted by a state-certified instructor.
• You must not be a felon or a convict of any misdemeanor charge or offense that has to do with domestic violence.
• You must not have any restrictions or protection orders in the state.
• You must not be a drug addict or a frequent user of intoxicants or substances controlled by the frug law enforcement agency.
• You must not have any mental illness.
• You must not get admission into any mental hospital in the state, multiple times in a year.
• You must meet all federal requirements for the possession of a firearm permit.

Different Types Of Gun Permits In California

A summary of firearms permits purchase in California includes the following:

• State permit to purchase long guns: California issues a state permit to buy long guns.
• State permits to purchase handguns: California issues a state permit to buy guns.
• State permit to open carry: California does not issue permits for open carry.
• State permits to conceal carry long guns: California does not issue a state permit to conceal handguns.
• State permits to conceal carry handguns: California issues a pistol permit to conceal carry guns in the state.

How Much Does A Pistol Permit Cost In California?

The price for a California handgun permit ranges from seventy to one hundred dollars, depending on the county of residence.

Gun Permit Application And Renewal In California

Having met all requirements to apply for a California pistol permit, you can begin the process for application. It includes the following:

Complete Firearm Training

Visit your local county to enquire about the state-approved firearm courses and enroll for one.

Note that some counties have physiological testing requirements for permit application.

Download And Complete The Application

Download the California gun permit application form and complete it from the first to the fifth section before submission in a local sheriff’s office.

You can only complete the sixth and eight sections in the presence of a notary officer.

Section seven must be left blank, the questions in this section require only oral answers.

Submit The Application

Take your California gun permit to the sheriff’s office in a local county or a local police station, submit it with the following:

• Proof of firearm training.
• A proof that you are a resident of California
• Any means of identification.
• Up to three firearms

At the local county office, your fingerprints and photographs will be taken.

Receive Application Notification

You will receive notification about the status of your application after the processing period.

Permit renewal process in California consists of the following:

Complete A Training Class

For renewal application, you must first complete a four hours training class.

Other Testings

If need be, there will be further psychological testing.

Complete And Submit The Application

Download the application, then proceed to complete it. Note that the application requirements may differ from county to county.

Receive Notification

You will get a notification about the renewal or denial of permit application after the processing period.

Note that the permit renewal application process can begin at least ninety days before the permit expires.

Gun Permit Reciprocity In California

In terms of reciprocity, California does not honor gun licenses from any other state in the county.

Other aspects of the state reciprocity include the following:

States That Recognizes California Pistol Permit

In these states, you can make use of a California pistol license for concealed carry and possession of firearms. They include the following:

• Alabama
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• Puerto Rico

States That Have Restricted Reciprocity With California

Although these states honor California concealed carry permits, there are specific requirements you must meet before you make use of the permit in these states. They include the following:

• Utah
• Wisconsin

States With Permitless Carry

You can make use of firearms in these states without a California pistol permit because they encourage constitutional carry and have a permitless policy. They include the following:

• Arizona
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• West Virginia

FAQs About Gun Permits In California

Some of the most frequently asked questions about California pistol permit include the following:

Do I Need A Permit To Conceal Carry Firearms In California?

Yes. California issues concealed weapon license for the concealed possession of firearms in the state.

What Is The Validity Period For California Pistol Permit?

California pistol permit will expire after two years, and then you will have to apply for a renewal permit.

Can Non-Residents Apply For California Pistol Permit?

No. The permit is only for residents of the state, employees in the state, members of the military stationed in the state, and their spouses.

How Can I Change The Name And Address On My California Handgun Permit?

Amendments permitted for pistol permits in the state include the following:

• Remove or add a firearm to the permit. The number of weapons permitted in the license depends on the county.
• Restriction change for the time, places, and how you can possess a firearm, as stated in the permit.
• Change of name and address.

For any change on the permit, the sheriff of a local county must receive a notification about the change at least ten days prior.

Also, if anybody changes residence, from one county to another, his or her permit will expire ninety days after moving residence.

To effect any of this change, obtain the concealed weapon license amendment form.

What Can I Do If I Lost My California Gun Permit Or It Gets Stolen?

Visit the local county sheriff’s office and the police department to report this

How Soon Can I Apply For California Gun Permit After Moving To The State?

You can apply for a California gun permit as soon as you have moved to the state and established residency, or you have a permanent place of employment in the state.

Can I Make Use Of California Gun Permit After Moving To Another State In The Country?

No, your California firearm permit expires immediately, if you move away from the state, permanently.

Do I Need A California Permit To Open Carry In The State?

Even though the California government does not issue a permit for open carry, some local counties in the state do.

What Is The Minimum Age Requirement To Apply For California Concealed Weapon Permit?

You must be at least twenty-one years old before you apply for a California pistol permit.

Do I need A Permit To Purchase Firearms In California?

Yes, California issues a permit for the purchase of firearms in the state.

Does My California Firearm Permit Exempt Me From Completing A Criminal Record Background Check Before Buying Firearms In The State?

Yes, California firearm permit exempts you from criminal record checks in the state.

Do I Need California Concealed Permit To Possess Firearms In My Private Property?

No, there is no need for a permit to possess firearms in private homes, workplaces, and in private cars.

Do I Need To Complete A Firearm Training Before Applying For California Pistol Permit?

Yes, you must complete an eight hours’ firearm training before applying for a California gun permit.

For renewal permit application, you must complete a four hours training.

What Is The Processing Period For Firearm Permits In California?

The processing period for California firearm permit application is ninety days.

Does California Have Ammunition And Firearm Restrictions?

Yes, armor piercing ammunition is prohibited in the state, while large capacity firearms are illegal.

Is California A Preemption Gun Law State?

California has a partial preemption gun law policy for local municipalities in the state.

Is Concealed Carry Permitted For Hunting In California?

Yes, you can conceal carry while hunting in the state, but you cannot use the firearm to take wildlife.

What Is The Age Requirement To Possess Firearms In California?

You must be at least eighteen years old to possess firearms in California.

Relevant Gun Permit Laws And Legislature In California

Some of California gun permit laws or similar laws in the state relating to this include the following:

Possession Of Firearms In Private Vehicles

You can conceal carry firearms in your private vehicle as long as you have a California pistol permit.

But you must lock the firearm away in its compartment, or the trunk of your vehicle.

Also, the firearm must be safe without any ammunition in it.

[Cal. Pen. Code § 25610]

Possession Of Firearms In Parks, Forests, And Wildlife Management Areas

With a California pistol permit, you can make use of firearms in forests and parks of the state as long as your license is valid in the county.

In Wildlife management areas, you cannot possess loaded firearms. Also, in California state management units, the possession of weapons is illegal.

This law is according to the fish and game code in the state.

Possession Of Firearms In Restaurants And Bars

If you have a California pistol license, you can conceal carry in the restaurant area of an eatery that sells alcohol, except if there is a post prohibiting such or you are under the influence of alcohol.

However, even with a California gun permit, you cannot conceal carry or possess firearms in a bar or any place for on-site sales and consumption of alcohol.

Possession Of Firearms In Hotels

Hotels and similar establishments in the state come up with their policy and firearm regulation for the possession of guns on their premise.

Magazine Limit For The Possession Of Firearms In The State

Even with the California pistol permit, the maximum limit for rounds in a firearm is ten.

California pistol law requires that any firearm acquired after the first of July in twenty-seventeen must not be a large-capacity firearm.

Anybody that owns a large-capacity magazine in the state has either of the three options:

• Take the magazine away from the state.
• Sell it to a federally or state-licensed dealer.
• Give it to the law enforcement agency for confiscation and destruction.

Ammunition Restriction

It is a prohibition to make use of armored piercing ammunition in the state. Also, purchasing such ammunition away from the state and bringing it to California is a felony act.

Additional Resources

California Gun Laws
California Concealed Carry Laws
California Open Carry Laws