Getting a CCW in California (2026)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a California concealed carry permit · Updated October 18, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Firearms and your county sheriff or city police chief before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-16.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-16):

• Permit type: Shall-issue (as of SB 2, effective 2024) — a License to Carry a Weapon Capable of Being Concealed (CCW license), issued by the sheriff of your county or the chief of police of your city (Pen. Code §§ 26150, 26155). Each county/city department runs its own process.
• Constitutional carry: No. A CCW license is required to carry a concealed firearm in California, and open carry of a firearm is generally prohibited as well.
• Minimum age: 21 (Pen. Code § 26150(a)(2) for a sheriff license / § 26155(a)(2) for a city license — "The applicant is at least 21 years of age").
• Duty to inform: No proactive duty, but you must carry the license on your person and display it (and the firearm) to any peace officer on demand (Pen. Code § 26195/26200 license conditions; BOF 4012 license terms, accessed 2026-10-16).
• Open carry: Generally prohibited. Openly carrying a loaded firearm is illegal in most public places (Pen. Code § 25850), and unloaded open carry is restricted (Pen. Code § 26350). In counties under 200,000 population, an applicant may request a license to carry loaded and exposed only within that county (Pen. Code §§ 26150(b)(2), 26155(b)(2)).

Who can apply

Under Pen. Code §§ 26150/26155 and the DOJ-standard application (BOF 4012, accessed 2026-10-16), the licensing authority shall issue to an applicant who:

• Is not a "disqualified person" under Pen. Code § 26202 (the statutory prohibiting categories);
• Is at least 21 years of age;
• Is a resident of the county/city, or has their principal place of employment or business there and spends substantial time at it (non-residents may apply where they attest under oath that the jurisdiction is the primary place in California they intend to travel or spend time);
• Has completed the required course of training and live-fire shooting exercises (Pen. Code § 26165); and
• Is the recorded DOJ owner of each firearm to be listed on the license, identified by make, model, caliber, and serial number.

Note: since SB 2 (2023), "good moral character" and subjective good-cause standards are gone — the statute is shall-issue on objective criteria. Counties still differ widely in process and wait times. Marijuana use is a federal disqualifier: 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) applies even though cannabis is legal under California law (Humboldt County Sheriff CCW notice, accessed 2026-10-16).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: your county sheriff or city police chief (the county sheriff if the city has no agreement; some counties handle city residents by default).

1. Complete the training course (see "Training requirement") with a DOJ/department-approved instructor and obtain your certificate.
2. Complete the statewide standard application (BOF 4012) — new and renewal — available from your licensing authority or DOJ. List each firearm to be carried (you must be the recorded owner of each).
3. Submit the application with the fee to the sheriff or police department; follow the department's process (paper, online portal, or appointment — departments vary).
4. Fingerprints and background check — the agency submits your fingerprints to DOJ (and FBI) for state and federal record checks.
5. Interview(s) and any department-specific steps (reference letters, firearm inspection — practices vary by agency).
6. Receive the license listing your approved firearm(s). Licenses carry conditions; you may carry no more than two firearms under the license at one time, and only firearms listed on the license (Pen. Code §§ 26195, 26200).

Costs

Fees are set by statute and vary by agency (BOF/county CCW pages, accessed 2026-10-16):

• Application fee: up to $100 for a new license (Pen. Code § 26190); some agencies charge a lower amount.
• DOJ fingerprint/processing fee: the statutory DOJ fingerprint fee (commonly $32 via Live Scan) plus any agency administrative costs.
• Renewal: up to $25 (Pen. Code § 26190), plus fingerprinting (required for renewals from Sept. 1, 2026 — Pen. Code § 26185) and any local fees.
• Training: set by the instructor; departments publish approved-instructor lists.

Training requirement

Yes. Under Pen. Code § 26165 (accessed 2026-10-16), new applicants complete a firearms training course of at least 16 hours (renewals: at least 8 hours) that includes:

• Firearm safety, handling, shooting technique, safe storage, and legal transport/vehicle securing;
• Laws on where permit holders may carry, permissible use of a firearm, and use of lethal force in self-defense;
• A component of at least 1 hour on mental health and mental health resources;
• A written examination the applicant must pass; and
• Live-fire exercises on a range demonstrating safe handling of, and shooting proficiency with, each firearm to be listed on the license.

Departments may require a DOJ-certified instructor (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 11, ch. 14) and publish approved-instructor lists — check your agency's list before booking.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: varies by agency; large departments (e.g., LASD, LAPD) commonly take many months. There is no statewide 90-day issuance deadline for all agencies — check your agency's posted timeline.
• Validity: licenses are issued for a term not to exceed 2 years (Pen. Code § 26220). Under AB 1948 (signed June 30, 2026, effective Jan. 1, 2027), the standard term rises to 3 years for licenses issued on or after Jan. 1, 2027 (Pen. Code § 26220 as amended; not retroactive — a license issued earlier keeps its printed 2-year expiration). Check the expiration printed on your license.
• Renewal: under AB 1075 (Pen. Code § 26225(e), eff. Jan. 1, 2026), the renewal application must be submitted within 90 days of license expiration — after that you reapply as a new applicant (16-hour course again). From Sept. 1, 2026, renewal applications must include new Live Scan fingerprints (Pen. Code § 26185); renewal requires the 8-hour course and the renewal fee. A renewal issued on or after Jan. 1, 2027 carries the 3-year term (AB 1948).

Where to apply

• California DOJ Bureau of Firearms (statewide rules, forms, regulations): https://oag.ca.gov/firearms
• Standard application BOF 4012 (PDF): https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/bof-4012.pdf
• DOJ CCW regulations page (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 11, ch. 14): https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/regs/uniformccwl
• Your county sheriff's or city police department's CCW page (application, fees, approved instructors).

Sources

• Pen. Code §§ 26150, 26155 (issuance), 26165 (training), 26190 (fees), 26200 (license conditions), 26230 (prohibited places), 26150(a)(2)/26155(a)(2) (age 21) — California Legislative Information, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
• California DOJ Bureau of Firearms — BOF 4012 Standard New and Renewal Application for License to Carry (PDF) — https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/bof-4012.pdf (accessed 2026-10-16)
• California DOJ — Uniform Standard Statewide CCW License Regulations (title 11, ch. 14) — https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/regs/uniformccwl (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Humboldt County Sheriff's Office — CCW Permit information (16-hour/8-hour training; marijuana disqualifier) — https://humboldtgov.org/DocumentCenter/View/132489/New-CCW-Application-Revised-09122024 (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Assembly Bill 1948 (2025–26 session) — extends the standard CCW license term to 3 years for licenses issued on/after Jan. 1, 2027 (amends Pen. Code § 26220) — Orange County Sheriff-Coroner, https://ocsheriff.gov/ccw (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Site reciprocity data — ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-16)