California’s SB 2 concealed carry law, in effect since 2024, kept the state’s permit system but rebuilt it around stricter applicant screening, a longer training requirement, and a long list of places where even a licensed carrier cannot bring a gun. The U.S. Supreme Court heard argument on the sensitive-places portion of the law on January 20, 2026, so parts of the list are enforceable today, parts are blocked by court order, and the balance could shift when the Court rules.
Who Qualifies for a Permit
You must be at least 21 and not otherwise barred from possessing firearms.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code PEN 26202 SB 2 dropped the old “good cause” standard that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in Bruen, but the licensing authority still runs a thorough background investigation to decide whether you pose a danger to yourself or others. That review can include your social media accounts, an in-person interview, and calls to references or associates. A psychological evaluation at your expense is not automatic, but the licensing authority can order one, and some jurisdictions treat it as routine.
Federal law separately disqualifies several categories of applicants, and those bars apply in California too. The main ones are 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 If any apply, you will be denied no matter how clean the rest of your record.
Applications go to the county sheriff, or to the police chief in incorporated cities.
Training, Fees, and How Long the Permit Lasts
SB 2 raised the minimum training for a new applicant to 16 hours. The course has to cover firearm safety and handling, safe storage, legal transport and vehicle storage, the rules on where permit holders may carry, and lawful use of force in self-defense. You also sit a written exam and complete live-fire exercises showing safe handling and proficiency with each specific firearm you want listed on the license.3Kern County Sheriff’s Office. SB2 Vendor Requirements The permit covers those particular guns, not firearms generally.
A standard CCW is valid for up to two years. An employment-based CCW lasts up to 90 days, a judicial CCW up to three years, and a reserve peace officer or custodial CCW up to four years.4California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions
The state fee runs roughly $71 to $137 depending on the license type. Each licensing authority also sets its own local application fee, and those vary widely. On top of that, you pay the training course, any psychological evaluation ordered, and vendor fees out of pocket. In some counties the total for a first-time license runs well into four figures.
Where You Cannot Carry Right Now
The biggest change SB 2 made was a long list of “sensitive places” closed to permit holders. Some categories have been enforceable the entire time. Others were blocked by a federal district court injunction in December 2023, then put back in force when the Ninth Circuit lifted that part of the injunction in September 2024.5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders For the carrier on the ground, all of these are currently off-limits:
- K-12 schools and the area within 1,000 feet of them
- Preschools and childcare facilities
- Colleges and universities
- State executive and legislative branch buildings
- Court buildings
- Local government buildings
- Polling places
- Police stations
- Adult and juvenile detention centers
- Airports and passenger vessel terminals
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission property
- 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
- State parks and most Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Fish and Wildlife property
- 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
Note the repeated “including parking areas.” Leaving your firearm locked in your car in a zoo lot still violates the prohibition.5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
Where SB 2 Is Currently Blocked
Six categories of sensitive places remain blocked by the preliminary injunction, meaning the state cannot enforce the SB 2 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
- Public transit, including buses, trains, 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
- Private commercial property open to the public (the default-prohibition rule, below)
You may currently carry in these locations with a valid permit. That status can change based on future court orders, so check before relying on it.
Carrying in Private Businesses
SB 2 attempted to flip the default for private businesses open to the public. Under the statute, a permit holder would be barred from carrying inside any private commercial establishment unless the owner posted a Department of Justice-approved sign affirmatively allowing firearms.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26230 That provision is enjoined. The Ninth Circuit did not reverse the injunction on this point, so businesses are not required to post signs and permit holders are not presumptively barred.5California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders A business owner can still prohibit firearms on their property under existing law, but the SB 2 default-prohibition framework is not in effect.
Federal Restrictions Your Permit Does Not Override
A California CCW has no effect on federal firearms law, and that catches people out. Carrying a firearm into any federal facility, including a federal courthouse, Social Security office, or IRS building, is a federal crime punishable by up to a year in prison. Bringing the firearm with intent to use it in a crime raises that to five years, and federal court facilities specifically carry up to two.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 permit holder may carry in the park itself. Firearms are still barred inside any National Park Service facility, including visitor centers, ranger stations, and government offices.8U.S. National Park Service. Firearms in National Parks Discharging a firearm in a national park is also prohibited unless hunting is specifically authorized there by federal statute.
Post offices are another common trip-up. Federal regulations ban firearms on postal property, parking lots included. And a California CCW does not let you carry on a commercial flight; only qualified law enforcement officers meeting federal requirements may carry an accessible firearm aboard an aircraft.
Why the Rules May Shift Again
SB 2’s sensitive-places provisions have been in litigation almost continuously since enactment. 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 in the petition. Argument was held on January 20, 2026, and a decision is expected during the Court’s current term. Provisions enjoined today could become enforceable after the ruling, and provisions in force today could be struck down. The California Attorney General’s office publishes informational bulletins when enforcement status changes, and those bulletins are the most reliable way to track the list.