Are Crossbows Legal in California? Ownership, Hunting, and Penalties

Crossbows are legal in California. You can buy, own, and shoot one without a permit, background check, or registration, because state law does not treat a crossbow as a firearm. The rules that do apply mostly concern hunting: crossbows are allowed during general hunting seasons but banned during archery-only seasons unless you hold a Disabled Archer Permit. Transport, federal land, and local ordinances add a few more limits worth knowing before you head out.

Ownership Without a Permit

California’s Penal Code defines a firearm as a device that expels a projectile by the force of an explosion or combustion. A crossbow works on mechanical tension, so it sits outside that definition. No background check, no registration, no handgun roster, no assault weapons rules.

The state’s school-zone weapons statute, which prohibits firearms within 1,000 feet of a school, does not reach crossbows by its own terms.¹ Individual districts, cities, and private property owners can still bar weapons of any kind, so don’t assume a crossbow is welcome everywhere just because it isn’t a firearm under state law.

The felon-in-possession statute that bars convicted felons from owning guns does not automatically extend to crossbows either. Probation or parole conditions sometimes prohibit any weapon, so anyone with a felony conviction should read their sentencing terms before buying one.

Hunting With a Crossbow in General Season

A crossbow is a legal method for taking big game during the general hunting season, alongside rifles, shotguns, and handguns.² Deer, bear, and wild pig are all fair game once the general season opens.

You’ll need a valid California hunting license and the correct tags. A resident hunting license is $62.90 for the 2025–2026 season, and a first deer tag is $41.30.³ Proof of hunter education must be on your CDFW customer profile before the state will sell you a license.⁴ Certificates from other states are accepted if they meet national standards, though a first-time California hunter whose original course skipped an in-person field day may need a follow-up.

Equipment Minimums

The CDFW sets minimum specs for any crossbow used on big game. Miss the specs and you’re hunting illegally.

Draw weight of at least 125 pounds.⁵
Bolts tipped with broadheads that will not pass through a hole seven-eighths of an inch in diameter.⁶
Mechanical or expandable broadheads must meet the seven-eighths-inch minimum when measured in the open position.⁶

Archery-Only Seasons Are Off Limits

California regulations state plainly that a crossbow is not archery equipment.² You cannot use one during any archery-only season for deer, other game mammals, or game birds. An archery-only deer tag limits you to a traditional or compound bow.

A crossbow fires from a shoulder-mounted stock with a trigger and performs more like a short-range rifle than a drawn bow, which is why the state keeps it out of the season set aside for bowhunters. The single exception is the Disabled Archer Permit.

The Disabled Archer Permit

If a physical disability prevents you from drawing and holding a conventional bow, the CDFW will issue a permit letting you use a crossbow during archery-only seasons. There is no fee.²

The steps:

Download form DFW 537, Disabled Archer Permit Application, from the CDFW website.
Complete your section with personal information, your hunting license number, and your signature.
Have a licensed physician describe the disability, confirm it prevents you from drawing and holding a bow, and note whether it is permanent or temporary (with an expected end date if temporary).
Mail the form to the CDFW License and Revenue Branch, PO Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090.

Allow at least 15 business days for processing. If archery deer opens in mid-July, June is cutting it close. Qualifying conditions generally involve significant impairment of the hand, arm, elbow, or shoulder; your physician makes the call, so bring documentation to the appointment.

Carrying and Transporting a Crossbow

You cannot have a bolt nocked on a crossbow string in a ready-to-fire position while in or on any vehicle, whether you’re driving, riding as a passenger, or sitting in a truck bed.² Shooting a bolt across any highway, road, or other way open to vehicle traffic is also prohibited.

On National Forest land, the U.S. Forest Service requires crossbows to be cased and unloaded in recreation areas and other public areas. Discharging one within 150 yards of a developed recreation site, a residence, or any place where people are likely to gather is prohibited, as is shooting across bodies of water or a Forest Service road.⁷

National Parks are far more restrictive. Federal rules generally prohibit possessing or using a weapon in a national park unless the park specifically authorizes hunting. An unloaded crossbow can be carried through only when transiting to access adjacent land that would otherwise be inaccessible, and only if state law allows your possession of it.⁸ Leave the crossbow home when visiting Yosemite or Joshua Tree.

Flying With a Crossbow

TSA allows crossbows in checked baggage only, never in a carry-on.⁹ Pack bolts and broadheads securely in the same checked bag. The final call at the checkpoint belongs to the TSA officer, so use a hard case and arrive early.

Penalties for Violations

Using a crossbow during an archery-only season without a Disabled Archer Permit, hunting without proper tags, or failing to meet equipment requirements are all violations of California Fish and Game regulations. Most hunting equipment violations are misdemeanors, carrying up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The base fine for taking game with an unlawful device starts lower, but mandatory court surcharges and penalty assessments multiply the total significantly.

A conviction can also cost you your hunting license and any preference points you’ve built up for future tag draws. Game wardens patrol actively during archery seasons and know what to watch for.

Local Ordinances

Cities and counties in California have broad authority to regulate weapons discharge within their boundaries. Many prohibit firing any projectile weapon, crossbows included, within city limits even on private property. These rules won’t appear in state Fish and Game regulations, so check with your city or county before setting up a backyard target. Rural unincorporated areas tend to be more permissive, though setback requirements from neighboring structures and roads still apply in most places.

1
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 626.9
2
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14, 354 – Archery Equipment and Crossbow Regulations
3
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2025/2026 Hunting Items Fees
4
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hunter Education Requirements
5
State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California Outdoors Q and A – Crossbow
6
California Fish and Game Commission. Mammal Hunting Regulations – Big Game
7
US Forest Service. Hunting
8
GovInfo. National Park Service 36 CFR 2.4 – Weapons, Traps and Nets
9
Transportation Security Administration. Bows and Arrows