You cannot open carry in Los Angeles. California prohibits carrying an exposed firearm in public whether it is loaded or unloaded, and Los Angeles is far too densely populated to fall under the narrow small-county exceptions in state law. If you want to carry a firearm in public here, a concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit is the only legal path, and even that comes with a long list of places where the gun still has to stay home.
The Three Statutes That Make Open Carry Illegal
California bans open carry through three overlapping laws, each covering a different combination of firearm type and loaded status.
Penal Code 26350 makes it a crime to carry an exposed, unloaded handgun on your person in any public place or public street.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350 – Crime of Openly Carrying an Unloaded Handgun Penal Code 26400 extends that same ban to unloaded long guns such as rifles and shotguns in any incorporated city or county.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26400-26405 – Carrying an Unloaded Firearm That Is Not a Handgun Penal Code 25850 covers the most serious version: carrying a loaded firearm of any kind in a public place inside an incorporated city or a prohibited area of an unincorporated area.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850 – Carrying a Loaded Firearm
“Public place” is broad. It includes sidewalks, parks, shopping areas, and building common areas, essentially any location reasonably accessible to the public. Simply hiding the gun instead doesn’t help either. Penal Code 25400 separately makes it a crime to carry a concealed handgun on your person or in a vehicle you control without a permit.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25400 – Carrying a Concealed Firearm Between these statutes, public possession of a firearm in Los Angeles without a valid permit is illegal in almost every scenario you can imagine.
Narrow Exceptions to the Ban
State law carves out a few specific exceptions, but none of them give you general permission to walk around armed.
Your Own Property
You can carry a firearm openly in your own home, on your own land, or at a business you own, provided the area isn’t open to the general public. This exception does not cover shared spaces like apartment hallways, common courtyards, or parking lots used by other tenants or the public.
Ranges, Hunting, and Campsites
Open carry is allowed at licensed shooting ranges and gun clubs while you’re actively using the facility. It’s also permitted while lawfully hunting where hunting is legal, and at a campsite functioning as a temporary dwelling. These cover the activity and the immediate location, not the commute. Driving across Los Angeles with a rifle visible on the passenger seat because you’re headed to a range does not qualify; vehicle transport rules apply during the drive.
Peace Officers and Other Professionals
Peace officers, active military performing official duties, licensed security guards including armored vehicle guards, and holders of a valid CCW permit are exempt from the open carry prohibition. Certain retired federal law enforcement officers with a sheriff-issued carry permit also qualify. These exemptions attach to a specific credential or role, not to personal preference.
The Baird v. Bonta Challenge Has Not Changed the Law
In January 2026, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled in Baird v. Bonta that certain California laws restricting open carry without a license in densely populated counties violate the Second Amendment.5California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-04 – Baird v. Bonta If that ruling takes effect, it would directly affect Los Angeles.
It has not taken effect. The California Department of Justice has directed law enforcement and prosecutors to keep enforcing the existing open carry restrictions until the court acts further.5California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-04 – Baird v. Bonta The case could still go to en banc review by the full Ninth Circuit or to the U.S. Supreme Court. Until something changes, openly carrying a firearm in Los Angeles is a crime, and anyone who does so risks arrest and prosecution regardless of the pending appeal.
How to Legally Transport a Firearm in Your Vehicle
Because you can’t carry a firearm in public without a permit, transporting it inside a vehicle is how most people legally move a gun from one place to another. The rules split by firearm type.
A handgun must be unloaded and stored either in the trunk or in a locked container.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25610 – Transport of Handguns by Nonlicensee California defines a locked container as a fully enclosed, secure container secured by a padlock, key lock, or combination lock.7California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 16850 – Locked Container Definition Your glove box and center console don’t count, even if they lock. It has to be a separate, portable case.
Rifles and shotguns must be unloaded during transport, but state law does not require them to be in a locked container. A soft or hard case is common practice. Keep ammunition stored separately so there’s no ambiguity about the firearm’s loaded status if you get stopped.
A Concealed Carry Permit Is the Only Legal Way to Carry in Public
A CCW permit is what you need if you want to legally carry in Los Angeles. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, California licensing authorities, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff, no longer require applicants to prove a specific reason for wanting to carry.
To qualify, you must be at least 21 years old, be a resident of the county (or have your principal place of employment there), be the registered owner of the handgun you plan to carry, and not fall into any prohibited category such as having a felony conviction or an active restraining order.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26150 – CCW License Issuance New applicants must complete a firearms training course of at least 16 hours; renewals require 8 hours.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26165 – CCW Training Course Requirements
Where you apply depends on where you live. Residents of unincorporated Los Angeles County, or of a city that contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for policing, apply online through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department using the Permitium platform.10Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Carry a Concealed Weapon Licensing – CCW Residents inside the City of Los Angeles apply through the Los Angeles Police Department, which runs its own process.
Places Where Even a CCW Doesn’t Let You Carry
A permit is not a universal pass. Penal Code 26230 lists dozens of “sensitive places” where licensed carriers still cannot bring a firearm, and in a city the size of Los Angeles you’ll pass through many of them in a normal day. The prohibited locations include:
- K-12 school grounds, preschools, and daycare centers, including their parking areas
- State legislative and executive offices, local government buildings, and courthouses
- Hospitals, urgent care clinics, nursing homes, mental health facilities, and medical offices
- Buses, trains, and other publicly funded transit, plus their stations and parking areas
- Bars and restaurants that sell alcohol for on-site consumption
- Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers
- Permitted public events, plus the sidewalks and streets within 1,000 feet of the event
The statute’s full list is longer than this summary.11State of California – Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 – CCW License Holder Restrictions Private businesses open to the public can also post signage banning firearms, and permit holders must comply. Some of these location restrictions face their own federal court challenges, but until a court orders otherwise, they all remain enforceable, and a violation can lead to permit revocation and criminal charges.
Penalties If You Open Carry Anyway
The consequences depend on what you were carrying, whether it was loaded, and what your record looks like.
Unloaded Firearm
Openly carrying an unloaded handgun under Penal Code 26350, or an unloaded long gun in an incorporated area under Penal Code 26400, is a misdemeanor. California’s default misdemeanor punishment is up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.12California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 19 – Misdemeanor Punishment
The maximum jail time doubles to one year if two things are both true: you have matching ammunition on you, and you are not the lawful owner of the gun.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350 – Crime of Openly Carrying an Unloaded Handgun
Loaded Firearm
Carrying a loaded firearm in public under Penal Code 25850 starts as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. It’s a “wobbler,” meaning prosecutors can charge it as a felony instead when any of the following applies:3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850 – Carrying a Loaded Firearm
- You have a prior felony conviction (automatic felony)
- The firearm is stolen and you knew or should have known (felony)
- You are an active gang member (felony)
- You are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law (felony)
- You are not the registered owner (wobbler, prosecutor’s choice)
- You have a prior conviction for a crime against a person, property, or drug offense (wobbler)
A felony conviction under 25850 carries a prison sentence and a permanent loss of firearm rights. Even as a misdemeanor, anyone with a prior qualifying conviction faces a mandatory minimum of three months in county jail.3California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850 – Carrying a Loaded Firearm Each firearm can be charged as a separate offense, so carrying two guns means two potential charges.
Collateral Consequences
A conviction for unlawful open carry can also trigger a gun violence restraining order, requiring you to surrender all firearms and ammunition to law enforcement or a licensed dealer within 24 to 48 hours. Any firearm conviction disqualifies you from a future CCW permit. For non-citizens, a firearms offense can lead to immigration consequences including deportation proceedings. The fallout from a conviction often outlasts the sentence itself.