California Gun Laws

Issuing Status:	May Issue
Inform Law Enforcement:	Yes/No (county dependent)
Honors Other States Permits:	No
Issues Non Resident Permits:	No
Prohibited Locations:	School grounds State Capitol Legislative buildings Polling places Picketing Courtrooms In public while wearing mask Places where alcohol consumption is primary purpose
*No Guns* Signs Force Of Law:	No
Store In Vehicle:	Yes (boxed/fastened - excl. console)
Allowed In State Parks:	Yes
Allowed In National Parks:	Yes
Allowed In Game Management Units:
Allowed In Wildlife Management Areas:	Yes
Allowed At Road Rest Areas:	Yes
Allowed In Restaurants Where Alcohol Served:	Yes
States Honoring California Permit	Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin
Open Carry Allowed:	No (generally prohibited except in unincorporated areas where the county has not made open carry illegal, or, pursuant to a CA open carry permit issued and valid only in a county with a population of less than 200,000 persons)
Licensing Age:

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New CA Gun Law Temporarily Blocked: The implementation of a new California law that restricts individuals from carrying firearms in most public places has been temporarily halted recently, pending an ongoing court case challenging its validity. The legal battle surrounding Senate Bill 2 commenced shortly after Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law in September 2023. Various legal challenges, including a recent action by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, have impeded the enforcement of this progressive law. A panel from the 9th Circuit dissolved a temporary hold on a lower court injunction that had initially blocked the law. The hold, previously issued by a different 9th Circuit panel, had allowed the law to become effective on January 1, 2024. This law prohibits the carrying of concealed guns in 26 specific locations, such as public parks, playgrounds, churches, banks, and zoos, irrespective of whether an individual possesses a concealed carry permit. The recent decision maintains the ruling made on December 20, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney, who had blocked the law. Judge Carney asserted that the law violates the Second Amendment and predicted that gun rights groups would likely succeed in proving its unconstitutionality. The 9th Circuit Court is scheduled to revisit the matter in April 2024.

July 2023 California Gun Laws: On July 1, California implemented a new law aimed at increasing regulation of the firearm industry. One of the new laws, AB 1594 (also known as the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act), sets a new standard of conduct for the firearm industry and empowers Californians to pursue legal action against firearm retailers in civil court. Under this law, firearm dealers are required to establish and enforce practices that prevent the sale of guns to traffickers, individuals who are prohibited from owning firearms under state or federal law, and those who pose a reasonable risk to themselves or others according to retailer judgment. Additionally, the law prohibits the manufacturing, marketing, importing, or offering for sale of any gun deemed "abnormally dangerous." In case of violations of this standard of conduct, victims of gun violence, public officials, and the Attorney General have the right to file civil lawsuits against members of the firearm industry. This law was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom approximately a year ago.