A California CCW permit is valid in all 58 California counties. State law creates one statewide license, not a county-by-county patchwork, so a permit issued by any sheriff or city police chief lets you carry anywhere in California. The catches are that the conditions your issuing agency wrote onto the permit travel with you, and both state and federal law list places where no permit holder can carry.
How the Statewide Rule Works
County sheriffs and municipal police chiefs issue CCW licenses to qualified applicants under California’s licensing framework.1California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26150 – License to Carry Concealed Firearm Once you have one, the license is not tied to the borders of the issuing county. You do not need additional permits, and you do not have to notify law enforcement in the counties you visit.
There is one exception. If your license was issued because your workplace, rather than your home, is in the issuing county, that permit is valid only in that county and lasts no more than 90 days.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26220 – License Validity Periods For the ordinary residency-based permit, which is what most holders carry, statewide coverage applies and the license lasts up to two years.
Conditions on Your Permit Follow You Everywhere
Statewide validity does not mean statewide uniformity. Any condition your issuing agency placed on the permit is enforceable in every county. These conditions vary by department. Some agencies, for example, prohibit carrying inside establishments where alcohol is the primary item sold. The issuing agency has discretion to tailor these terms, so a permit from one county can read differently from a permit issued next door.
The most universal condition is the firearm listing. You may only carry handguns you qualified with during training and that appear on your permit.1California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26150 – License to Carry Concealed Firearm Carrying a handgun that is not listed violates the license terms, regardless of the county. To add a new firearm, you have to amend the permit, which typically means qualifying with that gun at a range.
Places You Cannot Carry Under State Law
Penal Code 26230 lists dozens of “sensitive places” where no CCW holder may carry, and that list grew significantly under SB 2 in 2024. Parts of it are in litigation. A California Department of Justice bulletin from March 2025 confirmed that 20 of the location categories are fully enforceable, and six remain blocked by a federal court injunction.3California Department of Justice. California Department of Justice Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06
Currently Enforceable Locations
Under current law, CCW holders may not carry in:
- K-12 school zones, preschools, and childcare facilities
- State executive and legislative buildings, local government buildings, and court buildings
- Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers
- Bars and restaurants serving alcohol, and their parking areas
- Parks, playgrounds, and public athletic facilities, including adjacent sidewalks
- Colleges and universities
- Casinos and gambling establishments
- Stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, zoos, and museums, and their parking areas
- Public libraries
- Airports and passenger vessel terminals
- Polling places
- Police stations
- State parks and Department of Fish and Wildlife property
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission property
Several categories include the parking areas the facility controls, not just the building itself.4California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26230
Currently Enjoined Locations
Six categories from Penal Code 26230 are blocked by a preliminary injunction and are not enforceable as of the DOJ’s March 2025 bulletin: hospitals and medical facilities, public transit, public gatherings requiring a government permit, places of worship, financial institutions, and privately owned commercial property open to the public.3California Department of Justice. California Department of Justice Information Bulletin 2025-DLE-06 The litigation continues, and any of these could become enforceable again. The list has changed multiple times since SB 2 took effect, so check DOJ bulletins for updates.
Federal Buildings and School Zones
Federal law adds prohibitions your state permit does not override. Under 18 U.S.C. 930, bringing a firearm into a federal facility is illegal, with penalties up to one year in prison, up to five years if you intended to commit a crime, and up to two years for a federal court facility.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities In practical terms your CCW does not authorize carry in federal courthouses, Social Security offices, IRS buildings, post offices and their parking lots, VA hospitals, or military bases.
The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act bars firearm possession within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school. The law includes an exemption for people licensed by the state where the school sits, which would generally cover California CCW holders.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF P 5310.1 – Gun Free School Zone Notice California’s own statute independently bans CCW holders from carrying in school zones under Penal Code 26230(a)(1).4California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code 26230 The federal exemption may apply, but the state prohibition does not, so the practical rule is simple: no firearm in a school zone.
If You Move to a New County
Statewide validity has limits when your residence changes. If your permit was issued based on where you live, the license expires 90 days after you move out of the issuing county.7California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26210 – Change of Address and License Expiration You must notify the issuing agency in writing within 10 days of the address change, and the agency then has 10 days to notify the Department of Justice.
The move itself does not automatically revoke the license during that 90-day window. The statute says a license “may not be revoked solely because the licensee’s place of residence has changed to another county,” provided you have not violated the permit’s conditions and remain legally eligible to possess firearms.7California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26210 – Change of Address and License Expiration After 90 days you have to apply for a new permit in your new county, which means a fresh application, training course, and background check.
One narrower license type has a harsher rule. A license to carry loaded and exposed, available only in counties with fewer than 200,000 residents, is revoked immediately when the holder moves to a different county.
Other States Are a Different Story
Your California permit works throughout California but rarely does anything past the state line. California does not recognize CCW permits from other states, and very few states recognize a California permit in return, because California does not participate in reciprocity agreements. If you plan to travel out of state armed, check the destination state’s law separately.