Last reviewed: October 9, 2026 Mostly Prohibited
Reciprocity shown is for a standard resident permit. Non-resident and enhanced permit holders may have different reciprocity. Always verify before carrying. Use our full permit reciprocity map for all permit types →
Your California resident permit is honored in 27 statesCalifornia Gun Laws
Reciprocity of California's Basic Resident Permit
Open Carry
Duty to Notify Law Enforcement
State Parks
Restaurants Serving Alcohol
Firearms at Colleges
Firearms at K-12 Schools
Church Carry
on a church by church basis
Hotels
Secure Storage Requirements
Magazine Capacity Limitations
Suppressor Ownership
Vehicle Possession Without Recognized Permit
Firearm Law Uniformity
Permit Training Requirements
Non-Resident Permits
Constitutional Carry
Duty to Retreat
Places Off Limits
- Community colleges, colleges, and universities — buildings, classrooms, labs, clinics, athletic and entertainment venues, university-affiliated organization properties, parking areas, sidewalks, and common areas
- Preschools and childcare facilities, including buildings, real property, and parking areas
- Buildings, parking areas, and portions of buildings controlled by an executive or legislative branch officer of state government
- Courthouses and buildings designated for court proceedings, plus their parking areas, unless you're a justice, judge, or commissioner of that court
- Buildings, parking areas, and portions of buildings controlled by a unit of local government
- State and local public buildings generally, and any meeting required by law to be open to the public
- The State Capitol, the Sacramento state office building, legislative and constitutional officer offices, committee hearing rooms, and the Capitol grounds
- The Governor's Mansion and any residence of the Governor, a constitutional officer, or a member of the Legislature, including the grounds
- Adult and juvenile detention and correctional institutions, prisons, and jails, including real property and parking areas
- Hospitals and hospital affiliates, mental health facilities, nursing homes, medical offices, urgent care facilities, and any place where medical services are customarily provided, including parking areas
- Publicly funded buses, trains, and other transportation, and property or parking areas controlled by a publicly supported transportation authority, unless the firearm is unloaded and locked in an approved lock box
- Public transit facilities
- Establishments where alcohol is sold for on-premises consumption, including real property and parking areas. Licensees are also barred from any place whose primary purpose is dispensing alcohol for on-site consumption
- Public gatherings and special events requiring a government permit, plus adjacent sidewalks and streets within 1,000 feet — unless you must pass through to reach your home, business, or vehicle
- Playgrounds and public or private youth centers, plus immediately adjacent streets and sidewalks
- Parks, athletic areas, and athletic facilities open to the public, plus adjacent streets and sidewalks — same pass-through exception
- Real property controlled by the Department of Parks and Recreation or Department of Fish and Wildlife, except designated hunting areas and shooting grounds. This makes California state parks and game refuges off limits
- Gambling and gaming properties — casinos, gambling establishments, gaming clubs, bingo operations, horse racing facilities
- Stadiums and arenas, and property or parking areas tied to collegiate or professional sporting or eSporting events
- Public libraries, including real property and parking areas
- Airports and passenger vessel terminals, including buildings, real property, and parking areas
- Amusement parks, including real property and parking areas
- Zoos and museums, including real property and parking areas
- Nuclear energy, storage, weapons, or development sites regulated by the NRC, including streets, driveways, and parking areas
- Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship, including adjacent parking, unless the operator posts a DOJ-prescribed sign permitting licensed carry
- Financial institutions and their parking areas
- Police, sheriff, and highway patrol stations and law enforcement parking areas
- Polling places, voting centers, and locations where ballots are cast, returned, or counted, plus adjacent streets and sidewalks
- Any picket line or labor-related informational activity in a public place
- Game refuges under the Fish and Game Code
- Gun shows — you may not simultaneously possess a firearm and ammunition designed for it
- Any place prohibited by other state, federal, or local law
- San Francisco county property, by city ordinance
State Contact / Source
PO Box 820200
Sacramento, CA 94203
916-227-7527
www.oag.ca.gov
Permit Issuing Authority
Length of Permit Validity
Permit Application Process California Permit Reciprocity
While Concealed Carry Inc strives to maintain legal reference information updated on this website from publicly available sources; you as the reader and gun owner are responsible to do any and all necessary research and consult with a local attorney before making any decisions. Concealed Carry Inc is not a government agency is not affiliated with a government agency and is not liable for any misinformation, inaccuracies, or actions taken based on this information. We are not attorneys and this information is not legal advice. If you see any information you feel is outdated or incorrect please contact us.
Legal Summaries for all 50 states are available free on our site and mobile app.
California Concealed Carry Laws
Constitutional Carry
No
Open Carry
Mostly Prohibited
Permit honored in
27 states
California honors
0 states
Permit honored
Permitless carry
Not honored
Prohibited except in unincorporated areas where the county has not passed any laws prohibiting open carry
Varies by county or city
Per US 9th Cir Ct of Appeals on 9/19/24 carry in State Parks is illegal
California now prohibits carry in places "having a primary purpose of dispensing alcoholic beverages for onsite consumption." It is our opinion that this could include the bar area within a traditional restaurant. Further, when carrying one cannot consume an alcoholic beverage or controlled substance.
Concealed guns on campus prohibited by law.
Firearms must be unloaded and in locked cases within a vehicle.
Churches act like any other private property and may restrict
No legal restriction - Reference article on page 67
A person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm in the third degree” if the person keeps any firearm within any premises and negligently stores or leaves a firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, unless reasonable action is taken by the person to secure the firearm against access by the child.
Magazines with capacity over 10 may not be imported/brought into the state
Prohibited.
Handguns must be unloaded and stored in a locked container. This does not include the utility or glove compartment.
Uniform throughout state
Each county can set forth the training requirements to qualify to apply.
Certain non-residents of CA may apply for a non-resident permit. See Case No. 2:23-cv-10169-SPG
No
No Duty to Retreat
- K-12 school zones, including school grounds and within 1,000 feet of them, plus streets and sidewalks immediately adjacent to school property
California Bureau of Firearms
County sheriff
2 years
Varies by county. Contact your county sheriff office
AK
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AZ
FL
GA
IA
ID
IN
KS
KY
MI
MN
MO
MS
MT
NC
NE
OH
OK
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
VT
WI
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