To get a concealed carry license in San Francisco, you need to meet California’s eligibility rules and clear the San Francisco Police Department’s application process. The core San Francisco CCW requirements are straightforward to list but demanding to satisfy: you must be at least 21, a San Francisco resident, free of disqualifying criminal or mental health history, able to pass a psychological evaluation, and willing to complete 16 hours of state-approved firearms training. Plan on several months and roughly $475 to $970 in total costs.
A CCW license is also the only lawful way to carry a handgun on your person in the city. California bans open carry of handguns in any incorporated city, San Francisco included.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26350
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 21 years old to apply.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26150 – License to Carry a Pistol, Revolver, or Other Firearm Capable of Being Concealed Upon the Person You also need to prove you live in San Francisco. The SFPD wants a valid California driver’s license or state ID showing your current San Francisco address, plus two additional residency documents. Acceptable secondary documents include utility bills dated within the last 90 days, a lease or rental agreement, a voter notification card, or a homeowner’s property tax exemption filing. Past-due bills do not count.3San Francisco Police Department. Identification and Residency Documents
The SFPD then runs a background investigation to determine whether you qualify as a person of “good moral character” under state law.4San Francisco Police Department. Carrying Concealed Weapon Policy This goes beyond a felony check. Under Penal Code 26202, disqualifiers include certain misdemeanor convictions within the past ten years, active restraining orders, and unlawful use of controlled substances.5California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2026-DLE-03 – Guidance to CCW Licensing Authorities The investigation also includes contacting references and reviewing prior law enforcement contacts. Personal reference letters are optional.
California is a “shall-issue” state, so if you meet every objective requirement, the SFPD must issue the license. The requirements themselves are the hard part.
Psychological Evaluation
Every applicant must pass a psychological evaluation performed by an SFPD-approved psychologist, and you pay for it yourself.4San Francisco Police Department. Carrying Concealed Weapon Policy Costs typically run $150 to $475 depending on the provider. The SFPD will point you to approved providers when you reach that step.
Firearms Training
New applicants must complete at least 16 hours of training taught by an instructor certified through the California Department of Justice. Renewal applicants need a minimum of eight hours. The course has to cover firearm safety, shooting technique, safe storage, transportation rules, and the legal standards for using lethal force in self-defense. At least one hour must address mental health awareness and resources. You will take a written exam and complete live-fire exercises demonstrating proficiency with each firearm you want listed on your license.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26165
One timing detail matters: do not sign up for training on your own before the SFPD tells you to. State law says the agency must first determine whether you are a disqualified person before you can be required to pay for training.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26165 Pay too early and you may be out $175 to $350 before you know whether you can even hold the license.
How to Apply, and What It All Costs
Applications go through the SFPD’s online portal at sanfranciscopd.permitium.com.7San Francisco Police Department. Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) Information and Application Have scanned copies of your identification and residency documents ready when you start. The initial application fee is $144 for a standard two-year resident license, which covers Department of Justice LiveScan fingerprinting and processing.8San Francisco Police Department. San Francisco Police Department CA Online Concealed Carry Application
After you submit the application and pay the fee, the SFPD runs the background investigation and schedules an in-person interview. Only after you clear those steps does the department direct you to the psychological evaluation and training. Once you submit proof of both, the SFPD issues a final approval or denial. The process routinely takes several months.
Adding it up:
- Application fee: $144
- Psychological evaluation: $150 to $475
- Training course: $175 to $350
- Credit card processing: small additional fee
Expect roughly $475 to $970 out of pocket before you receive your license.
How Long the License Lasts
A standard San Francisco CCW license is valid for up to two years from the date of issue.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26220 Renewal requires an eight-hour refresher course and a $52 renewal fee.8San Francisco Police Department. San Francisco Police Department CA Online Concealed Carry Application If you let the license lapse, you are carrying without a permit, which is a criminal offense in its own right.
Where the License Does Not Let You Carry
A CCW license is not blanket permission. California designates a long list of “sensitive places” that are off-limits even to permit holders. As of 2025, enforceable restrictions include school zones, preschools and childcare facilities, state executive and legislative buildings, courthouses, local government buildings, detention facilities, colleges and universities, airports and passenger vessel terminals, Nuclear Regulatory Commission property, police stations, and polling places. A Ninth Circuit ruling also restored restrictions on bars and restaurants serving alcohol, playgrounds and youth centers, parks and athletic facilities, most state parks and wildlife areas, casinos, stadiums and arenas, public libraries, amusement parks, and zoos and museums, along with the parking areas tied to them.10California Department of Justice. Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 – Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
Other categories written into SB 2, including hospitals, public transit, permitted public gatherings, and places of worship, are currently blocked by a federal court injunction and not being enforced. This area is in active litigation, so check the Department of Justice’s bulletins before relying on any exception. Private property owners can also post their premises against firearms, and ignoring posted signs can bring trespassing charges.
What Happens If You Carry Without a License
Carrying a concealed firearm without a valid CCW license violates Penal Code 25400. Without aggravating factors, it is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.11California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25400
It becomes a straight felony if you have a prior felony conviction or certain firearms offense conviction, if the firearm was stolen and you knew or had reason to believe it was stolen, if you are an active participant in a criminal street gang, or if you are otherwise legally barred from possessing firearms. The charge is a “wobbler,” chargeable as either a felony or a misdemeanor, when you have a prior misdemeanor conviction for a crime against a person, a property crime, or a drug offense, or when the firearm is loaded and you are not the registered owner.11California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 25400 As a felony, the sentence is 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail.
A felony conviction here triggers a lifetime ban on owning or possessing firearms under both California and federal law.12California Department of Justice. Firearms Prohibiting Categories That is the backstop that makes the months of paperwork and the four-figure outlay worth doing properly.