Gun insurance in California is not required by state law. The only place in California where firearm owners must carry liability coverage is the city of San Jose, under a local ordinance that took effect January 1, 2023. Everywhere else in the state, no statute compels you to insure your guns, though your existing homeowner’s or renter’s policy may already provide some coverage, and some important gaps you probably don’t know about.
San Jose’s Insurance Requirement
San Jose’s Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance, enacted in February 2022, requires every San Jose resident who owns or possesses a firearm to obtain and continuously maintain a homeowner’s, renter’s, or gun liability insurance policy that specifically covers losses or damages resulting from accidental use of the firearm, including death, injury, or property damage.1San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
The ordinance sets no minimum coverage amount. Any qualifying policy that covers accidental firearm-related losses satisfies the rule. You also have to complete the City of San Jose insurance attestation form and keep it wherever your guns are stored or transported.1San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
What Happens If You Don’t Comply
If police find a firearm without an attestation form, the department files a report and may issue an administrative citation. Fines start at $250.1San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance You can appeal a citation through the city. The ordinance does not authorize confiscation of firearms for an insurance violation alone.
The $25 Annual Fee
The ordinance also created a $25 annual fee per household to fund gun violence reduction programs through a designated nonprofit. As of early 2026, the city has not begun collecting it. Once collection starts, gun owners will receive a receipt that must be kept with the firearm and renewed each year, and a missing receipt could trigger another administrative citation.1San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
The Statewide Bill That Didn’t Pass
Senate Bill 8, introduced in the 2023–2024 session, would have extended a similar mandate to every gun owner in California. It required a homeowner’s, renter’s, or gun liability policy from an insurer authorized to do business in the state, covering losses from firearm use including death, injury, or property damage, with written proof kept wherever the guns were stored.2California Legislative Information. SB 8 Firearms Liability Insurance
The bill directed the Insurance Commissioner to set minimum coverage amounts by July 1, 2024, and issue a standardized proof-of-coverage form by December 31, 2024, with an operative date of January 1, 2025.2California Legislative Information. SB 8 Firearms Liability Insurance None of that took effect. The bill stalled in committee and was returned to the Secretary of the Senate in February 2024 under Joint Rule 56, ending it for that session.3California Legislative Information. Bill History SB-8 Firearms Liability Insurance An earlier version, SB 505, failed during the 2021–2022 session. A similar bill could return in a future session, but as of 2026, no statewide mandate exists.
What Your Homeowner’s or Renter’s Policy Already Covers
Standard homeowner’s and renter’s policies generally include liability coverage that can apply to accidental firearm discharges. If you’re cleaning a gun and it goes off and damages a neighbor’s property, your liability coverage may respond depending on the circumstances. Most policies include up to $500,000 in liability coverage as standard. Almost every policy excludes damage that was “expected or intended,” so intentional acts are not covered.
For theft, the typical sublimit on firearms under a base policy is around $2,500. If your collection is worth more, you can schedule individual firearms under itemized personal property coverage for higher limits, which raises the premium.
Where Standard Policies Fall Short
The gaps are where gun owners get caught off guard. No insurer covers illegal acts, and intentional acts to cause harm are excluded from virtually every policy. Some carriers carve out an exception for bodily injury or property damage from reasonable force used to protect people or property, but that coverage is uncommon and varies significantly between insurers.4Insurance Information Institute. Background on Gun Liability
You might assume your homeowner’s policy covers a self-defense shooting. It usually doesn’t. If you face criminal charges or a civil lawsuit after a defensive gun use, your homeowner’s insurer will most likely decline to cover legal defense or any resulting judgment.
Specialized Firearm and Self-Defense Coverage
Because of those gaps, a market for specialized coverage has developed. Two categories exist, and the distinction matters.
Firearm liability insurance works like traditional insurance, covering civil liability for accidental discharges and, in some cases, property damage. This is the type of coverage that satisfies San Jose’s ordinance and would have satisfied SB 8.
Self-defense legal protection plans are usually not traditional insurance at all. They are memberships or prepaid legal plans that cover attorney fees for criminal defense after a self-defense shooting, civil lawsuit costs, bail bond assistance, and sometimes lost wages during proceedings. Some also cover legal costs tied to firearm confiscation defense.
In San Jose, a self-defense membership on its own likely won’t satisfy the ordinance, because the city requires an actual insurance policy covering accidental losses, not a legal defense plan. A standard liability policy, on the other hand, won’t help you pay for a criminal defense attorney after a self-defense incident. Owners who take coverage seriously often carry both.
What to Do Now
If you live in San Jose, get a qualifying policy, complete the city’s attestation form, and keep it with your firearms. Check your homeowner’s or renter’s policy first. It may already satisfy the requirement if it covers accidental firearm-related losses. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to add a rider or buy a standalone firearm liability policy.
If you live elsewhere in California, nothing requires you to carry gun insurance. Reviewing your homeowner’s or renter’s policy is still worth the time. Know your liability limits, whether accidental discharge is covered, and what exclusions apply. If you carry or use firearms regularly, decide whether the gaps in standard coverage are risks you want to keep.