California Senate Bill 2, signed in 2023, rewrote the state’s concealed carry rules after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision struck down subjective “good cause” requirements. The law dropped that standard but layered on stricter applicant vetting, a longer training course, and a long list of places where even a licensed carrier cannot bring a firearm. Several of those location restrictions are currently blocked by federal court order, and the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the constitutionality of the sensitive-places scheme in a case argued in January 2026.
Who Can Get a CCW Under SB 2
An applicant must be at least 21 and must not be a person disqualified from possessing firearms.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 26202 The old “good cause” showing is gone. In its place, the licensing authority runs a thorough background investigation to decide whether the applicant is a danger to themselves or others. That review can pull in social media accounts, an interview with the applicant, and contacts with references or associates.
Federal law bars several categories of people from possessing any firearm, and those bars apply here too: anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison, anyone subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders, anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, anyone dishonorably discharged from the military, fugitives from justice, and unlawful users of controlled substances.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Any of those disqualifies the application regardless of the rest of the record.
The licensing authority is the county sheriff, or the police chief in incorporated cities. A psychological evaluation at the applicant’s expense may be required if the authority decides one is needed to determine suitability. It is not automatic everywhere, though some jurisdictions treat it as standard.
Training, Fees, and How Long a Permit Lasts
SB 2 set the minimum training for a new applicant at 16 hours. The course has to cover firearm safety, handling, safe storage, legal transport and vehicle-storage methods, the rules on where permit holders may carry, and the law of self-defense.3Kern County Sheriff’s Office. SB2 Vendor Requirements There is a written exam, plus live-fire exercises on the range where the applicant demonstrates safe handling and proficiency with each specific firearm they want listed on the license. The license covers those particular guns, not firearms generally.
A standard CCW license is valid for up to two years. Other types run different periods: employment-based CCWs last up to 90 days, judicial CCWs up to three years, and reserve peace officer or custodial CCWs up to four years.4California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions
The state fee ranges from about $71 to $137 depending on license type. On top of that, each licensing authority sets its own local application fee, and those vary sharply between counties. The training course, any required psychological evaluation, and vendor fees all come out of the applicant’s pocket. In some counties, the total cost to get an initial license runs well into four figures.
Where You Cannot Carry
The biggest practical change SB 2 made was a long list of “sensitive places” where a permit holder cannot carry. Some of those restrictions have been enforceable since the law took effect. Others were initially blocked by a federal court injunction and became enforceable in September 2024 after the Ninth Circuit reversed portions of that injunction.5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
These locations have never been enjoined and are fully enforceable:
- K-12 school grounds and the area within 1,000 feet of them
- Preschools and childcare facilities
- Colleges and universities
- State government buildings under the control of an officer of the executive or legislative branch
- Court buildings
- Local government buildings
- Polling places
- Police stations
- Adult and juvenile detention centers
- Airports and passenger vessel terminals
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission property
The following nine categories became enforceable after the Ninth Circuit’s 2024 ruling and remain enforceable as of early 2026:
- Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, including their parking areas
- Playgrounds and youth centers, including adjacent streets and sidewalks
- Parks, athletic areas, and athletic facilities, including adjacent streets and sidewalks
- Most property controlled by the Department of Parks and Recreation or the Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Casinos and gambling establishments, including their parking areas
- Stadiums and arenas, including their parking areas
- Public libraries, including their parking areas
- Amusement parks, including their parking areas
- Zoos and museums, including their parking areas
The parking areas count. Leaving a firearm locked in your car in a zoo lot, for example, still violates the restriction.5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
Where the Restrictions Are Currently Blocked
Six categories of sensitive places remain subject to the December 2023 preliminary injunction. The state cannot enforce the SB 2 carry ban in these locations while the litigation continues:5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
- Hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, medical offices, and urgent care centers
- Buses, trains, and other publicly funded transit, plus stations and their parking areas
- Permitted public gatherings on public property, plus nearby sidewalks and streets within 1,000 feet
- Places of worship
- Banks and credit unions
- The default-prohibition rule for private businesses open to the public
That last item is worth its own note. SB 2 tried to flip the default for private commercial property: a CCW holder would be barred from any business open to the public unless the owner posted a sign, in a Department of Justice-prescribed format, affirmatively allowing firearms.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26230 That provision is enjoined and the Ninth Circuit did not reverse the injunction on it. Business owners are not required to post permission signs, and permit holders are not presumptively barred from private businesses. Owners can still prohibit firearms on their property under existing law, but the SB 2 default flip is not currently in force.
Any of these enjoined categories could become enforceable if a court order changes. The California Attorney General’s office issues bulletins when enforcement status shifts, and those bulletins are the most reliable source to check before carrying in any of these places.
Federal Rules a California Permit Doesn’t Override
A California CCW does not override federal firearms law, and this catches permit holders out. Carrying a firearm into a federal facility, such as a federal courthouse, Social Security office, or IRS building, is a federal crime punishable by up to one year in prison. Federal court facilities specifically carry up to two years.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
National parks in California follow state law for possession, so a valid CCW holder may carry in the park itself. Firearms are still prohibited inside any National Park Service facility, including visitor centers, ranger stations, and government offices.8U.S. National Park Service. Firearms in National Parks Post offices are off-limits too, parking lots included. And a California permit does not authorize carry on commercial flights; that is limited to qualified law enforcement officers meeting specific federal requirements.
What the Supreme Court Case Could Change
The sensitive-places fight has been in court almost continuously since SB 2 took effect. After the December 2023 district court injunction and the Ninth Circuit’s partial reversal in September 2024 in consolidated cases including Wolford v. Lopez, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in October 2025, limited to Question 1 of the petition. Argument was heard on January 20, 2026, with a decision expected during the current term.
The ruling could reshape which sensitive-places categories survive under SB 2 and potentially set a nationwide standard for how far states can go in designating carry-free zones after Bruen. For anyone holding a California CCW, the list of prohibited locations is not settled: what is enforceable today could be struck down, and what is blocked today could return.