LA County CCW: Requirements, Costs, and Where You Can Carry

A concealed carry weapon license in Los Angeles County is issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for people who live or work in the unincorporated areas or contract cities the department serves. To get an LA County CCW, you file through the Sheriff’s online portal, meet the statutory eligibility rules, complete a 16-hour training course with an approved instructor, sit for an in-person interview, submit to Live Scan fingerprinting and a full background check, and pay department fees of $216 plus training and other out-of-pocket costs. The permit is valid for two years, and processing routinely takes many months.¹

Who LASD Will Accept an Application From

You must be at least 21 years old and either live in a community served by the LA County Sheriff or have your principal place of employment there.² LASD only accepts first-time applications from residents of its contract cities and unincorporated areas. If you live inside a city with its own police department, such as Los Angeles, Pasadena, or Long Beach, your application goes to that department, not the Sheriff.³

Residency is proved through your voter registration address, a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or comparable documentation showing your presence in the county is more than temporary.² Every handgun you want listed on the permit has to be registered to you through the California Department of Justice. Unregistered firearms cannot go on the license.

What Will Disqualify You

Penal Code Section 26202 lists the circumstances that automatically bar issuance or renewal. Check these before you spend money on a training course.

Anything found during the investigation showing you pose a danger to yourself, others, or the community.
A domestic violence restraining order, civil harassment order, or similar protective order against you within the past five years.
A conviction within the past ten years under Penal Code Sections 29805 or 422.6, or a comparable federal or out-of-state offense.
Any history of reckless use, brandishing, or unlawful display of a firearm, with no time limit.
Incarceration, probation, or parole within the past five years for a drug or alcohol offense.
A contempt conviction under Penal Code Section 166 or a comparable federal or out-of-state law.

These bars apply regardless of whether the underlying case ended in a plea deal or a conditional dismissal.⁴

Documents and Firearms You’ll List

The application is Bureau of Firearms Form 4012, the statewide standard form for California CCW licenses.⁵ It asks for full disclosure of personal history, employment, and any prior law enforcement contact. False statements or omissions result in denial.

You’ll need a valid California driver’s license or state ID confirming your name, age, and address, plus your residency documentation.

Each firearm you want on the permit must be identified by make, model, caliber, and serial number. LASD allows a maximum of three handguns per license, and you must pass a live-fire qualification with each one. AR-style pistols are prohibited, and every firearm, magazine, and round of ammunition has to comply with California and federal law.¹

Training You Have to Complete

First-time applicants complete a course of at least 16 hours. The curriculum covers firearm safety, handling and shooting technique, safe storage, legal transportation, the laws on where permit holders can carry, lawful use of a firearm, and the standards for using lethal force in self-defense. At least one hour focuses on mental health awareness and available resources. The course ends with a written exam and a live-fire demonstration of safe handling and proficiency with each firearm you plan to carry.⁶

Your instructor has to be on LASD’s approved list. The department posts a PDF of authorized instructors on its CCW page and is not currently accepting new training-provider applications.¹ Course prices vary by provider and generally fall between $125 and $350 for the 16-hour initial course. This is separate from any fee you pay the Sheriff.

Steps from Application to Decision

LASD takes applications through its online Permitium portal. After you submit Form 4012, your supporting documents, and the initial fee, the department does a preliminary review and schedules an in-person interview with an investigator. The interview verifies what’s in your written application and gives the investigator a chance to clarify anything in your background or firearms experience.

After the interview you complete Live Scan fingerprinting. Your prints go to the California Department of Justice and the FBI for a full criminal history report.¹ Live Scan vendors charge a rolling fee, typically $20 to $30, plus government processing fees for the state and federal checks. Those costs go to the Live Scan provider, not to LASD.

Psychological Evaluation

LASD may require a psychological evaluation from an initial applicant. If it does, you’ll be referred to a licensed psychologist approved by the department, and you pay the cost. A renewal applicant can only be sent for an evaluation when there is compelling evidence of a public safety concern.⁷

How Long It Takes

Plan on a timeline measured in months. A federal lawsuit against LASD alleged that applicants waited an average of 281 days just for the department to begin processing, with some waiting nearly three years. The department has worked to reduce that backlog since, but it remains slow. You’ll receive written notice when your application is approved or denied.

What It Costs

LASD splits its fees into a payment at submission and a payment on approval. For a standard two-year resident permit:

Application fee at submission: $43
Issuance fee on approval: $173
Total to LASD: $216

Those figures don’t include Live Scan, training, or a psychological evaluation if one is ordered. Once you add the course ($125 to $350), Live Scan rolling and government fees, and possible psychological testing, budget roughly $400 to $700 or more for an initial permit.³

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial comes with written notice and a copy of the “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form. You have 30 days from receipt to request a hearing in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Read the denial letter for any internal appeal step you have to exhaust first.⁸

Common reasons for denial include incomplete applications, failed background checks, disqualifying criminal history, and psychological evaluation results. If the issue is a paperwork gap rather than a statutory bar, cleaning up the file and reapplying is often faster than a formal challenge.

Renewing Your Permit

A California CCW expires two years after issuance. Renewal requires an eight-hour refresher course covering the same topics as the initial course, including a live-fire proficiency demonstration.⁶

Renewal is much cheaper than the initial application. LASD charges a total of $86 for a standard two-year renewal: a $69 submission fee ($52 to DOJ, $17 to the Sheriff) and a $17 issuance fee on approval.¹ You still pay separately for the eight-hour class. A fresh background check runs at renewal, and a psychological evaluation only comes into play if there’s specific evidence of a public safety concern.⁷

File your renewal well before the expiration date. LASD’s timelines are long enough that a late filing can leave you without legal carry authority in the gap.

Where the Permit Lets You Carry

A California CCW doesn’t authorize carry everywhere. State law has always prohibited concealed carry in places like schools and courthouses. Senate Bill 2, passed in 2023, greatly expanded the list of restricted “sensitive places,” but federal courts have blocked enforcement of many of its provisions. As of the Ninth Circuit’s September 2024 ruling, carry remains prohibited in:

Bars and restaurants serving alcohol for on-site consumption
Playgrounds and youth centers
Parks, athletic facilities, and athletic areas
Most Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Fish and Wildlife property
Casinos and gambling establishments
Stadiums and arenas
Public libraries
Amusement parks, zoos, and museums
Parking areas connected to these locations

The Ninth Circuit’s injunction lets permit holders continue to carry at hospitals and medical facilities, on public transit, at gatherings that require a government permit, in places of worship, in financial institutions, and in the parking areas connected to those locations. This is an active case, and the status could change. Check the LASD CCW page or the California Attorney General’s firearms page before relying on any specific location.

Private property owners can still prohibit firearms on their premises. You can carry on your own property, at your business, or on private property with the owner’s permission without any CCW at all, but commercial establishments open to the public may post signs restricting carry.

Penalties for Carrying Without a Permit

Carrying concealed without a valid CCW violates Penal Code Section 25400. In most cases it’s a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The charge becomes a felony if you have a prior felony conviction, if the firearm is stolen and you knew or should have known, if you’re an active participant in a criminal street gang, or if you’re otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms.⁹ Carrying an unregistered, loaded concealed firearm also triggers felony-level exposure. The stakes are high enough that letting a permit lapse, or carrying before approval, is a serious risk.

1
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Carry a Concealed Weapon Licensing – CCW
2
California Legislative Information. California Code, Penal Code PEN 26150
3
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Concealed Carry Weapon License
4
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26202
5
California Department of Justice. Bureau of Firearms Standard Initial and Renewal Application for License to Carry a Concealed Weapon
6
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26165
7
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 26190
8
Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions – Concealed Carry Weapons Licenses
9
California Legislative Information. California Code, Penal Code PEN 25400