To get a CCW in San Bernardino County, you apply through the Sheriff’s Department’s Permitium portal at sbcsd.permitium.com, clear a background investigation and in-person interview, finish a 16-hour training course with a live-fire qualification, and pay $283 in combined county fees for a standard two-year permit. California’s rules changed on January 1, 2024, when Senate Bill 2 replaced the old “good moral character” test with a specific disqualifier list, doubled the training requirement, and expanded the places where even a licensed permit holder cannot carry.
Who Qualifies
Penal Code Section 26150 sets the baseline. You must be at least 21, able to prove your identity and age, and either a resident of San Bernardino County or someone whose principal workplace is in the county and who spends substantial time there.1California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 26150 Voter registration and a homeowner’s property tax exemption both work as residency evidence. Every handgun you want listed on the permit must already be registered to you with the California Department of Justice.
Disqualifiers Under Penal Code 26202
SB 2 wrote a specific list of disqualifying factors into Penal Code Section 26202. If any one applies, the sheriff must deny the application.2California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26202 The main ones:
- Anything in your application or investigation suggesting you are reasonably likely to pose a danger to yourself or others.
- A restraining or protective order issued against you in the past five years, unless it was vacated or entered without notice to you.
- A misdemeanor conviction within the past ten years for a hate crime under Section 422.6 or any offense listed in Section 29805, which includes assault, battery, brandishing, stalking, and domestic violence.3California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 29805
- Any history of unlawful or reckless firearm use, including brandishing or reckless discharge.
- Certain serious charges dismissed in connection with a plea arrangement within the past ten years.
- A controlled-substance conviction followed by jail, prison, probation, or parole within the past five years.
What It Costs
The county’s current fees for a standard two-year permit, all paid through Permitium:4San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Online Carry Concealed Weapon Permit Application
- Initial application fee: $188, due when you submit.
- Issuance fee: $95, due after approval.
- Renewal fee: $132.
- Duplicate or modification fee: $16.
A small credit card transaction fee is added to each payment, and none of it is refundable if you’re denied. Training is separate and runs roughly $100 to $350 for the 16-hour course depending on the instructor and class size. Once you add practice ammunition for range qualification, a realistic first-time budget is $400 to $650.
How to Apply
You create an account at sbcsd.permitium.com, complete the application online, upload your documents, and pay the initial fee through the portal.4San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Online Carry Concealed Weapon Permit Application The underlying form is the DOJ’s standard BOF 4012, which asks for personal information, five years of address history, employment, and detailed eligibility questions about criminal history, mental health, substance use, restraining orders, and prior firearm incidents.5California Department of Justice. Bureau of Firearms Standard Initial and Renewal Application for License to Carry a Concealed Weapon
San Bernardino County requires the following uploads:6San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Online Carry Concealed Weapon Permit Application
- A California driver’s license, state-issued ID, or current military ID showing your San Bernardino County address.
- A current utility bill in your name for gas, water, electric, or trash service. Cable, phone, internet, and past-due bills are rejected.
- Three character references willing to be interviewed. If applicable, one must be a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, fiancé, or dating partner, and at least one must be a current cohabitant.
- The make, model, serial number, and caliber of each handgun you want listed.
After you submit, the Sheriff’s Department schedules an in-person interview with an investigator who goes through the application, asks about your background, and clears up discrepancies. The investigation also includes calls to your three references, a review of publicly available information, and a check against the California Restraining and Protective Order System.5California Department of Justice. Bureau of Firearms Standard Initial and Renewal Application for License to Carry a Concealed Weapon You’re fingerprinted, and the prints run through California DOJ and FBI databases.7San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Online Carry Concealed Weapon Permit Application – Section: Concealed Carry Weapon License Requirements
State law requires written notice of approval or denial within 120 days of your initial application, or 30 days after the Sheriff’s Department receives your DOJ background check, whichever is later. The background check is the slowest piece.
Training and the Range Qualification
SB 2 raised the minimum training for new applicants from 8 hours to 16. Penal Code Section 26165 requires the course to cover firearm safety, handling and shooting technique, safe storage and legal transport (including securing firearms in vehicles), the laws on where permit holders may carry, permissible use of lethal force in self-defense, and at least one hour of mental health content. You also take a written exam and complete live-fire exercises showing safe handling and proficiency with each firearm you want on the permit.8California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26165
With the exception of the mental health portion, instructors must be certified by the California DOJ, and the county maintains a list of approved providers. California permits are weapon-specific: each firearm’s serial number is printed on the license, so you qualify separately with every handgun you want to carry. Fail the range qualification for a particular pistol and it will not be added.
Where the Permit Does Not Let You Carry
A San Bernardino County CCW is not blanket permission. SB 2 created Penal Code Section 26230, a long “sensitive places” list, and a Ninth Circuit decision in Carralero v. Bonta and May v. Bonta blocked part of it while leaving the rest in force. As of the court’s January 2025 mandate, carrying is still prohibited in school zones, preschools and childcare facilities, state and local government buildings, courthouses, jails and detention facilities, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol for on-site consumption, playgrounds and youth centers, parks, athletic areas and facilities, most Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Fish and Wildlife property, casinos, stadiums and arenas, public libraries, amusement parks, zoos, museums, and colleges and universities.9California Department of Justice. 2025-DLE-06 Additional Restrictions on CCW License Holders
The injunction currently blocks enforcement at hospitals and medical offices, public transit, permitted public gatherings, places of worship (unless the operator posts a sign allowing firearms), financial institutions, and the parking areas tied to those locations. That status could change if the court modifies its ruling, so check the DOJ’s law enforcement bulletins or the Sheriff’s Department before relying on it.
Federal buildings are off-limits regardless of your California permit, and so are post offices and their parking lots. Getting any of this wrong can mean criminal charges and permanent revocation of your permit.
Renewal and Address Changes
A standard San Bernardino County license is valid for up to two years.10California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26220 Renewal requires an 8-hour refresher course covering the same subject areas, another range qualification, and the $132 fee through Permitium.8California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26165
While your license is active, Penal Code Section 26210 requires you to notify the Sheriff’s Department in writing within 10 days of any change to your home address. The department then has 10 days to pass that change to the DOJ.11California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 26210 Skipping that step can cause problems at renewal or during any law enforcement contact where you’re asked to produce the permit.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial comes with a copy of the “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form. Under Penal Code Section 26206, you have 30 days from the date you receive the denial notice to request a hearing in the superior court for your county of residence. Some licensing authorities require you to appeal to the department first before going to court.12California Department of Justice. Frequently Asked Questions The 30 days are a hard cutoff. Miss it and the only path forward is a new application from scratch.