This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.
CaliforniaConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity
Compiled and verified against primary sources by CarryReciprocity. How we source & verify →
California is a may-issue-in-practice state. Since the 2022 Bruen decision it issues a License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW) on an objective basis, but obtaining one is a high-friction process: an applicant must be at least 21, a California resident (or have a principal place of business in the issuing county), pass a background investigation and 'good moral character' screening, complete at least 16 hours of firearms training with a live-fire range qualification, and pay county fees; licenses are commonly valid for two years. The CCW is issued by the county sheriff or a municipal police chief. Open carry of firearms is prohibited, and California is not a permitless-carry state. California recognizes no out-of-state permits and has no reciprocity with any state — an out-of-state CCW is not valid in California. California's 2024 SB 2 bars carry in a long list of 'sensitive places' (parts of it have been the subject of litigation).
California California License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW)
- Issuing authority
- County Sheriff or Municipal Police Chief
- Carry regime
- may issue in practice
- Minimum age
- 21
- Fee
- Varies
- Training
- Required (16 hrs)
- Validity
- 2 years
California CCW renewal
Renewing a resident California License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW). The permit is valid for 2 years.
- Renewal fee
- Renewal applicants pay a Department of Justice fee plus a local fee set by the sheriff or police chief at its reasonable processing cost (excluding fingerprint and training costs); half of the local fee may be collected at filing and the balance on issuance.[source]
- Training for renewal
- Renewal requires a course of at least eight hours acceptable to the licensing authority, covering the same subjects as the initial course, with a written exam and live-fire proficiency on each firearm to be carried.[source]
- How to renew
- Renew through your licensing authority (county sheriff or city police chief); for renewals submitted on or after September 1, 2026 the authority must also send new fingerprints to the Department of Justice before the renewal can issue.[source]
Renewal rules verified 2026-10-05.
Carry practicalities
Permitless carry
Not allowed
California is NOT a permitless-carry state. Carrying a concealed firearm requires a California CCW license (Cal. Penal Code §25400 et seq.); there is no constitutional/permitless carry. Carrying without a license is a criminal offense.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Open carry
Prohibited
Open carry is prohibited in California. Carrying a loaded firearm openly in public is barred (Cal. Penal Code §25850, §26350), and open carry of an unloaded handgun in public is likewise prohibited (§26350); a concealed firearm carried under a CCW license is the only lawful public-carry method.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Duty to inform
Not required
California imposes no statutory duty to proactively notify a law enforcement officer that you are carrying. A CCW licensee carries the license and presents it if asked, but there is no proactive notification requirement.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Off-limits locations
- schools, colleges, and universities, and playgrounds and youth centers
- government and public buildings, courthouses, and correctional facilities
- hospitals and medical facilities
- public transit facilities and vehicles
- establishments where alcohol is sold for on-premises consumption (bars)
- public gatherings/permitted events, parks, and athletic/recreation facilities
- stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, zoos, museums, and public libraries
- casinos and gambling establishments, and financial institutions
- places of worship (unless the operator authorizes carry)
- privately owned commercial establishments open to the public unless the operator posts signage allowing firearms
Curated key categories, not exhaustive. California's 2024 SB 2 (Cal. Penal Code §26230) enumerates an extensive list of 'sensitive places,' including a default no-carry rule for private businesses absent posted permission; parts of SB 2 have been the subject of federal litigation (e.g. May/Carralero v. Bonta), so this reflects the currently effective law — re-verify before relying on a specific location.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
California formally recognizes 0 states' permits · a California permit is honored by 27 states.
California reciprocity
Where California's permit is honored
Honored — no extra conditions (26)
Honored — resident permits only (1)
Not honored (22)
You may also carry without a permit in 1 permitless-carry state, where no permit is required at all.
Whose permits California honors
Not honored (50)
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Last verified 2026-07-10 against California DOJ — Carry Concealed Weapons Licenses.
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California FAQ
- Does California have constitutional carry?
- No. California is may-issue in practice — a California License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW) is required, and issuance involves discretion, delays, or added requirements beyond the base statutory criteria.
- How much does a California CCW cost?
- The CCW application fee in California is Fees vary by licensing authority: a California DOJ fee plus a local fee set by the sheriff or police chief, plus fingerprint (Live Scan), training and any psychological-testing costs. DOJ's fee for a Standard CCW renewal is $93 from September 1, 2026 (DOJ Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-14), and renewals now re-submit Live Scan fingerprints.
- Does California honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
- California does not currently honor any other state's concealed-carry permit — a California CCW (or permitless carry, if eligible) is required to carry in California.
- Where is a California CCW honored?
- A California CCW is honored by 27 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
- How long is a California CCW valid?
- A California CCW is valid for 2 years before renewal is required.
- How do I renew a California CCW?
- Renew through your licensing authority (county sheriff or city police chief); for renewals submitted on or after September 1, 2026 the authority must also send new fingerprints to the Department of Justice before the renewal can issue. Renewal applicants pay a Department of Justice fee plus a local fee set by the sheriff or police chief at its reasonable processing cost (excluding fingerprint and training costs); half of the local fee may be collected at filing and the balance on issuance. Renewal requires a course of at least eight hours acceptable to the licensing authority, covering the same subjects as the initial course, with a written exam and live-fire proficiency on each firearm to be carried.