There is no statewide law requiring gun insurance in California. The only place in the state where firearm owners must carry a liability policy is the city of San Jose, under a local ordinance in effect since January 1, 2023. A proposed statewide mandate, Senate Bill 8, was introduced in the 2023–2024 session and died in committee.
No Statewide Mandate
SB 8 would have required every California gun owner to obtain and continuously maintain a homeowner’s, renter’s, or gun liability policy from an insurer authorized in the state, with coverage specifically for losses or damages from firearm use, including death, injury, or property damage.1California Legislative Information. SB 8 Firearms Liability Insurance It directed the Insurance Commissioner to set minimum coverage amounts and build a standardized proof-of-coverage form, with an operative date of January 1, 2025. None of that took effect. The bill was returned to the Secretary of the Senate in February 2024 under Joint Rule 56, ending it for the session.2California Legislative Information. Bill History SB-8 Firearms Liability Insurance
So if you own a firearm anywhere in California outside San Jose, no state or local law currently requires you to carry insurance on it. Similar proposals have been introduced before and could return.
The San Jose Requirement
San Jose’s Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance requires every 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.3San 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 requirement. You must keep a completed City of San Jose insurance attestation form wherever your guns are stored or transported.3San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
If police find a firearm without an attestation form on hand, the department files a report and may issue an administrative citation. Fines start at $250, and citations can be appealed through the city. The ordinance does not authorize firearm confiscation for an insurance violation alone.3San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
The ordinance also created a $25 annual household fee intended to fund a designated nonprofit’s violence-reduction programs. As of early 2026, the city has not begun collecting it. When collection starts, gun owners will receive a receipt that must be kept with the firearm and renewed yearly.3San Jose Police Department. Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance
What Your Homeowner’s or Renter’s Policy Already Covers
Many gun owners already carry some firearm-related coverage without realizing it, and many have gaps they haven’t considered. 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 discharges into a neighbor’s wall, your liability coverage could apply depending on the circumstances. Standard policies commonly include up to $500,000 in liability coverage.
For theft, the typical sublimit on firearms is around $2,500 under a base homeowner’s policy. Collections worth more than that can be scheduled under itemized personal property coverage for higher limits, at a higher premium.
Where Standard Coverage Falls Short
No insurer provides liability coverage for illegal acts, and acts intended to cause harm are excluded from virtually every policy. Some policies carve out an exception for bodily injury or property damage resulting from reasonable force used to protect persons or property, but coverage for self-defense situations is uncommon and varies widely between insurers.4Insurance Information Institute. Background on Gun Liability
This is the blind spot. A homeowner’s policy may feel like broad protection, but standard policies typically do not cover intentional firearm use even in self-defense cases. If criminal charges or a civil lawsuit follow a defensive gun use, your homeowner’s insurer will almost certainly decline to cover your legal defense or any resulting judgment.
Firearm Liability Policies vs. Self-Defense Legal Plans
Specialized products aimed at gun owners fall into two categories, and the difference matters:
- Firearm liability insurance functions 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 that SB 8 would have required.
- Self-defense legal protection plans are, in most cases, memberships or prepaid legal plans rather than insurance. They cover attorney fees for criminal defense after a self-defense shooting, civil lawsuit costs, bail bond assistance, and sometimes lost wages during legal proceedings. Some plans also cover legal costs related to firearm confiscation defense.
A self-defense membership alone probably will not satisfy the San Jose ordinance, which calls for an actual insurance policy covering accidental losses. A standard liability policy, meanwhile, will not pay for a criminal defense attorney after a self-defense incident. Gun owners who take the question seriously often carry both.
What to Do Now
If you live in San Jose, check whether your current homeowner’s or renter’s policy already covers accidental firearm-related losses. If it does, complete the city’s attestation form and keep it with your firearms. If it doesn’t, add a rider or buy a standalone firearm liability policy before you need to show proof.
If you live elsewhere in California, nothing requires you to carry gun insurance, but it is still worth pulling out your homeowner’s or renter’s policy and reading the liability section. Know your limits, whether accidental discharge is covered, and what the exclusions say about intentional acts and self-defense. If those gaps worry you, specialized firearm liability coverage, a self-defense legal plan, or both can fill them.