Out-Of-State CCW Application Process Starts Soon!

CRPA is thrilled to announce that residents of other states will finally begin to have their Second Amendment right to carry honored in California. Together with the Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, and Gun Owners of California, we sued Attorney General Bonta to force him to recognize the right to carry of nonresidents as part of our lawsuit in CRPA vs. LASD. While the Judge ruled against us for the time being in our argument that California must honor CCW permits issued by other states (known as “reciprocity”), she did agree that California must at least allow residents of other states to apply for a California CCW permit.

The order takes effect on April 23, 2025, at which time residents of other states will have to apply under the following process, which we negotiated with DOJ:

1. Applicants will need to be a member of CRPA, or a member of one of the other associational plaintiffs (SAF, GOA, or GOC). This was something the DOJ insisted on, as we prefer to seek relief for everyone, not just CRPA members. You can become a CRPA member by clicking here.

2. You must apply with the sheriff or chief of police of any California county or city you have a good faith intention of spending time in within the next 12 months. If you will be visiting multiple counties or cities, be conscious of wait times and local requirements when choosing which police or sheriff’s department you apply with. Some departments take much longer than others to process permits, while others have extra requirements like a psychological examination. And fees vary greatly from one department to another.

3. You should apply with the online application portal most departments have now set up. Just search the sheriff’s department or police department you will apply with, along with “CCW”, and it should be easy enough to find. You may substitute information relevant to you in lieu of California-specific information. For example, for the portion of the application that asks for a “CA Driver License No.,” you would instead provide the driver’s license number or identification number issued to them by your state of residence.

NOTE: The Order gives the DOJ the option to create a separate application form for nonresidents. If they have not done so by April 23, 2025, then you may apply as described above.

4. You will have to prove your residency. If your state driver’s license or identification card does not reflect your current address, you will need to submit other reliable documentation, such as utility bills, the CCW permit from your home state, and so forth.

5. You may complete your required police interview remotely, but you must appear by audio and video if so.

6. Similarly, if you can’t make it to California to do a livescan, you may submit your fingerprints to the department by mail on FBI form FD-258.

7. You must complete the required 16-hour training course. In California, local sheriffs and police chiefs have a list of approved trainers for this. The training course can be done in California if you so desire, but recognizing that extra trips to California may be unfeasible, the Order allows for online training courses too. If the department you apply with has not approved of any online training courses, you may complete an online training course approved by any other department in the state.

8. You must complete the live fire portion of the required training.  To do so, you must complete live-fire shooting exercises for each handgun you intend to carry in California. You will find a trainer/course in your area offering live-fire training, and inform the department of that choice. If the department does not accept your choice, they must suggest an alternative within 75 miles of your residence.

NOTE: Unlike most other states, California requires you to qualify with each handgun you carry, and the gun itself as well as its serial number is listed on your permit. Many departments set a maximum of 2 or 3 guns on a permit, and often you may only change this when you renew your permits every two years.

9. If the department you applied with requires a psychological examination, you have the option for it to be conducted virtually by video and audio, unless the department identifies an examination provider within 75 miles of your residence. CRPA recommends applicants try and avoid the handful of departments that require such examinations, as they tend to add greatly to the cost by as much as $500.

10. Ensure that the handgun(s) you intend to carry are legal to possess in California. For example, the handgun must not have a threaded barrel, and the magazine must be limited to no more than ten rounds. If you need a reference to California gun laws, consider this book prepared by CRPA attorneys.

Keep in mind that it is also your responsibility to make sure you do not carry in any “sensitive places” where carry is not allowed, even with a permit. CRPA won an injunction against several portions of SB2, while other restrictions are now in effect.

If approved, your CCW permit will be mailed to the address you provided on your application.

CRPA realizes how complicated this all seems compared to the application process in nearly every other state. And all we can say to that is: welcome to California! But we did endeavor in our negotiations with DOJ to make this application process possible to be completed without the applicant needing to make an extra trip to California, and on that we succeeded.

We will continue to fight for reciprocity so that such a complex application process is not necessary in the future. Please support CRPA in its ongoing efforts to restore the Second Amendment rights of both Californians and residents of other states who are visiting this state.