Can You Carry a Gun in San Francisco? CCW Laws

You can carry a gun in San Francisco only if you hold a California-issued License to Carry a Concealed Weapon, and only concealed. Open carry of any firearm, loaded or unloaded, handgun or long gun, is banned across the city under state law.¹ Without a CCW, carrying a concealed firearm in public is a crime under Penal Code 25400.² A permit from any other state is not recognized here.

Open Carry Is Not an Option

California bans openly carrying firearms in public, and San Francisco falls squarely under that ban. There is a narrow carve-out for counties with populations under 200,000, where a sheriff can issue an open-carry license, but San Francisco is far above that threshold, so it does not apply.¹

A January 2026 Ninth Circuit panel ruling in Baird v. Bonta found California’s open-carry restrictions unconstitutional in densely populated counties, but that decision has not taken effect. The California Attorney General has sought rehearing, and a Department of Justice bulletin has told law enforcement to keep enforcing the existing ban.¹ Relying on that ruling as a defense today would be a serious mistake.

Out-of-State Permits Don’t Work Here

California does not recognize concealed carry licenses issued by any other state. If you fly in from Texas or Arizona with a permit from home, it has no legal weight in San Francisco. You face the same criminal exposure as someone with no permit at all.

Who Can Qualify for a San Francisco CCW

To be eligible, you must be at least 21, a San Francisco resident, and able to document your identity and address. The licensing authority runs a background investigation to confirm you are not a “disqualified person” under Penal Code 26202.³ You will be denied if any of the following apply:

The agency finds you reasonably likely to be a danger to yourself, others, or the community, based on the application, the investigation, or a psychological evaluation.
You have a prior felony conviction, a violent or firearms-related misdemeanor conviction within the past ten years, or a history of unlawfully using or brandishing a firearm.
You are subject to an active restraining or protective order, or one that expired less than five years before you apply.
You resolved certain criminal charges by plea bargain within the past ten years.
You were incarcerated or on probation or parole within the past five years for a qualifying offense.

The statute includes further disqualifiers covering contempt convictions, drug and alcohol offenses, and more.³ If something in your past gives you pause, talk to an attorney before you apply.

How to Apply

San Francisco residents can apply through either the San Francisco Police Department or the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office. Both the police chief and the county sheriff have authority to issue CCW licenses under Penal Code 26155, and each agency runs its own process.⁴

The SFPD takes applications through an online portal. You will need proof of San Francisco residency, a government-issued photo ID, and the names and contact information for at least three personal references. State law requires those references, and at least one must be a current cohabitant if you have one.⁵

Once your paperwork is reviewed, an investigator contacts you to schedule an in-person interview. At that appointment you are fingerprinted for state and federal background checks, sign waivers, and get a referral for a mandatory psychological evaluation by a licensed psychologist.⁶ After you clear the background investigation and psych evaluation, you complete your firearms training, and the license is issued.

Plan on several months from start to finish. Incomplete paperwork and delays scheduling the psychological evaluation are the usual reasons the timeline drags.

Training

First-time applicants must complete at least 16 hours of training with an SFPD-approved provider. The course covers firearm safety, handling and shooting technique, safe storage, legal transport, where you can and cannot carry, lawful use of force, and self-defense law, plus at least one hour on mental health resources. You have to pass a written exam and demonstrate safe handling and shooting proficiency with each firearm you want on your license.⁶ Renewals require an eight-hour refresher.

Costs

The SFPD charges $144 for a standard two-year initial license, which includes LiveScan fingerprinting and CCW processing fees. Renewal costs $52.⁷ You pay separately for the training course, and for the psychological evaluation, which state law caps at $150.⁸ Budget several hundred dollars total.

Where You Still Cannot Carry With a CCW

A license does not let you carry everywhere. California designates a long list of “sensitive places” that are off-limits even for licensed carriers. Senate Bill 2 significantly expanded that list, and while parts have been enjoined, most locations are enforceable. As of early 2026, these are off-limits:⁹

K-12 school zones, preschools, childcare facilities, colleges, and universities
State executive and legislative buildings, local government buildings, courts, and police stations
Adult and juvenile jails and prisons
Airports and passenger vessel terminals
Polling places
Public parks, athletic facilities, playgrounds, youth centers, and the sidewalks and streets next to them
Property controlled by the Department of Parks and Recreation or Department of Fish and Wildlife, except designated hunting areas
Stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, zoos, museums, casinos, and their parking areas
Public libraries and their parking areas
Any establishment that serves alcohol for on-site consumption, including parking areas
Property controlled by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Six further categories remain enjoined by a federal court for now: hospitals and medical facilities, public transit, permitted public gatherings, places of worship, financial institutions, and privately owned commercial property open to the public that has posted “no firearms” signage.⁹ That injunction could lift at any time. Carrying in any enforceable sensitive place can cost you your license and bring criminal charges.¹⁰

Carrying a Gun in Your Car Without a CCW

If you do not hold a CCW, any handgun in your vehicle must be unloaded and stored in a locked container. The container must be fully enclosed and secured with a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar device. A car trunk qualifies. The glove compartment and utility compartments do not.¹¹

If you do hold a valid CCW, the locked-container rule does not apply to the handguns listed on your permit, and you can carry them loaded and concealed in your vehicle.¹² Any firearm not on your license still has to follow the standard transport rules.

Penalties for Carrying Without a License

Carrying a concealed firearm without a CCW is typically a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.² It becomes a felony if you have a prior felony conviction, the gun was stolen and you knew it, you are a prohibited person, or you are an active participant in a criminal street gang. A loaded, unregistered firearm also opens the door to felony charges.

Carrying a loaded firearm in public without a license carries the same baseline: a misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for a first offense, with felony exposure if any of the aggravators apply.¹³ If you have a prior misdemeanor conviction for assault or certain weapons offenses, the court must impose at least three months in county jail even on a new misdemeanor.

1
California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-04 – California’s Firearm Open Carry Laws Currently Remain in Effect
2
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25400
3
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26202
4
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26155
5
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26175
6
San Francisco Police Department. Carrying Concealed Weapon Policy
7
San Francisco Police Department. San Francisco Police Department CA Online Concealed Carry Weapon License Application
8
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26190
9
California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 – Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
10
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26230
11
State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Transporting Firearms in California
12
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25655
13
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25850