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Concealed Carry Map

State profile · CA

California Concealed Carry Laws & Reciprocity

A California resident permit (California Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) License) is honored in 28 of the other 50 US jurisdictions, and 6 more allow permitless carry even though they do not recognize the permit itself. In the other direction, California recognizes no out-of-state carry permits. California is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit California recognizes.

Open the interactive map for a California permit →

California concealed carry reciprocity map

Where a California resident permit is valid. Each state links to the rules for that trip.

Alabama: recognized — and permitless carry appliesALAlaska: recognized — and permitless carry appliesAKArizona: recognized — and permitless carry appliesAZArkansas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesARCalifornia (home state)CAColorado: not recognizedCOConnecticut: not recognizedCTDelaware: not recognizedDEDistrict of Columbia: not recognizedDCFlorida: recognized — and permitless carry appliesFLGeorgia: recognized — and permitless carry appliesGAHawaii: not recognizedHIIdaho: recognized — and permitless carry appliesIDIllinois: not recognizedILIndiana: recognized — and permitless carry appliesINIowa: recognized — and permitless carry appliesIAKansas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesKSKentucky: recognized — and permitless carry appliesKYLouisiana: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesLAMaine: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesMEMaryland: not recognizedMDMassachusetts: not recognizedMAMichigan: recognized — carry with your permitMIMinnesota: recognized — carry with your permitMNMississippi: recognized — and permitless carry appliesMSMissouri: recognized — and permitless carry appliesMOMontana: recognized — and permitless carry appliesMTNebraska: recognized — and permitless carry appliesNENevada: not recognizedNVNew Hampshire: recognized — and permitless carry appliesNHNew Jersey: not recognizedNJNew Mexico: not recognizedNMNew York: not recognizedNYNorth Carolina: recognized — carry with your permitNCNorth Dakota: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesNDOhio: recognized — and permitless carry appliesOHOklahoma: recognized — and permitless carry appliesOKOregon: not recognizedORPennsylvania: not recognizedPARhode Island: not recognizedRISouth Carolina: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesSCSouth Dakota: recognized — and permitless carry appliesSDTennessee: recognized — and permitless carry appliesTNTexas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesTXUtah: recognized — and permitless carry appliesUTVermont: recognized — and permitless carry appliesVTVirginia: recognized — carry with your permitVAWashington: not recognizedWAWest Virginia: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesWVWisconsin: recognized — carry with your permitWIWyoming: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesWY
  • Permit honored
  • Honored + permitless carry
  • Permitless carry only
  • Not honored
  • Confirm case-by-case
  • California

Which states honor a California CCW? (28)

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin

Where a California permit is not honored (22)

Permitless carry still applies (6): Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming

No lawful carry on this permit (16): Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington

Where a California permit is honored, state by state

Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.

DestinationResident permitNon-resident permit
AlabamaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
AlaskaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
ArizonaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
ArkansasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
ColoradoNot recognizedNot recognized
ConnecticutNot recognizedNot recognized
DelawareNot recognizedNot recognized
District of ColumbiaNot recognizedNot recognized
FloridaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
GeorgiaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
HawaiiNot recognizedNot recognized
IdahoRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
IllinoisNot recognizedNot recognized
IndianaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
IowaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
KansasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
KentuckyRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
LouisianaPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
MainePermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
MarylandNot recognizedNot recognized
MassachusettsNot recognizedNot recognized
MichiganRecognized — carry with your permitNot recognized
MinnesotaRecognized — carry with your permitRecognized — carry with your permit
MississippiRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
MissouriRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
MontanaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
NebraskaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
NevadaNot recognizedNot recognized
New HampshireRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
New JerseyNot recognizedNot recognized
New MexicoNot recognizedNot recognized
New YorkNot recognizedNot recognized
North CarolinaRecognized — carry with your permitRecognized — carry with your permit
North DakotaPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
OhioRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
OklahomaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
OregonNot recognizedNot recognized
PennsylvaniaNot recognizedNot recognized
Rhode IslandNot recognizedNot recognized
South CarolinaPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
South DakotaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
TennesseeRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
TexasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
UtahRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
VermontRecognized — and permitless carry appliesRecognized — and permitless carry applies
VirginiaRecognized — carry with your permitRecognized — carry with your permit
WashingtonNot recognizedNot recognized
West VirginiaPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
WisconsinRecognized — carry with your permitRecognized — carry with your permit
WyomingPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesPermit not recognized — but permitless carry applies

* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.

Whose permits California honors

California does not recognize any out-of-state concealed-carry permit.

California DOJ: 'CCW licenses/permits issued in other states are not valid in California' (Pen. Code §§ 25400-25700). No out-of-state permit of any kind is honored.

California at a glance

Permit
California Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) License
Issued by
County sheriff or city police chief
Issue policy
Shall-issue
Resident minimum age
21
Non-resident permits
Issued
Permitless carry
No
Duty to inform
No
Magazine limit
10 rounds

Can you carry in California without a permit?

California is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit California recognizes.

No permitless carry — carrying a concealed handgun without a CCW license is generally a crime (Pen. Code §§ 25400 et seq.).

Is California an open carry state?

Only in limited circumstances. California restricts open carry of a handgun; the details are below.

Openly carrying a handgun, loaded or unloaded, is a crime in cities and in built-up county areas where shooting is banned. A special license to carry openly exists only in counties under 200,000 people and is valid only in that county.

How to get a California concealed carry permit

Apply to
Your county sheriff, or your city police department if you live in an incorporated city
Minimum age
21
Fee
Set by each city/county (capped at its reasonable costs) plus a state DOJ processing fee; varies
Training
At least 16 hours of classroom training (including 1 hour on mental health), a written exam, and live-fire qualification with each gun on the license
Valid for
2 years
Issue policy
Shall-issue (must be granted if you qualify)

The license lists the specific guns you may carry, and those guns must be registered to you with the state.

Does California issue non-resident permits?

Yes. California issues carry permits to non-residents, and a California non-resident permit is honored in 26 other states. Since January 1, 2026, Penal Code § 26150(b) requires a county sheriff to issue a license to a non-California resident who is 21 or older, is not disqualified under California or home-state law, shows a home-state driver's license or ID, applies to the sheriff of the county where they mainly intend to travel or spend time, completes the required training and live-fire qualification for each listed firearm, and lists each firearm to be carried.

Compare every state's non-resident permit →

Do you have to tell police you are carrying in California?

No statewide statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; individual issuing authorities may attach notification conditions to the license.

Carrying in a vehicle in California

Without a California CCW license, a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded and in a locked container or the trunk (Pen. Code § 25610); CCW licensees may carry loaded and concealed.

Where you can't carry in California

Editor's verification notes

Post-Bruen SB 2 rewrote licensing to objective shall-issue criteria ('shall issue' verified in current § 26150 text). Parts of the § 26230 sensitive-places list have been challenged in federal court (May v. Bonta line of cases); the statute remains on the books and the list above reflects current statutory text, not litigation outcomes. 2025 federal-court orders reportedly let members of certain plaintiff organizations apply from out of state, but no official state page confirms this, so non-resident permit issuance stays false per statute. Update 2026-09-27: AB 1078 (Stats. 2025, ch. 570) rewrote § 26150(b) effective 2026-01-01 so sheriffs must issue to qualified non-residents; the entry now records non-resident permit issuance: true (verified on leginfo).

Frequently asked questions

Which states honor a California carry permit?
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
Does California recognize out-of-state carry permits?
California DOJ: 'CCW licenses/permits issued in other states are not valid in California' (Pen. Code §§ 25400-25700). No out-of-state permit of any kind is honored.

Official sources