California law states that a person may not carry a concealed firearm in public unless they obtain a valid Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) license.
Assembly Bill 2103 and Senate Bill 2 impose several requirements that a person must meet before they can receive a CCW license.
These requirements are:
- Applicants for CCW permits must receive a minimum of 16 hours of training on firearm safety, firearm handling, shooting technique, safe storage, legal methods to transport firearms and securing firearms in vehicles, laws governing where permitholders may carry firearms, laws regarding the permissible use of a firearm, laws regarding the permissible use of lethal force in self-defense, and mental health and mental health resources; and,
- Applicants must perform live-fire shooting exercises while demonstrating they can safely handle and shoot the firearm they are applying for to be licensed to carry; and
- A written examination.
Under California law, prior to AB 2103, a person could obtain a CCW license even if they never owned a gun and did not receive firearm safety training.
Requirements Under Assembly Bill 2103 and Senate Bill 2
AB 2103 and SB 2 impose a specific course of training that all applicants for a CCW permit must complete before they can receive a license.
This course of training must meet the following conditions:
- The course must be no less than 16 hours in length;
- The course must include training on firearm safety, firearm handling, shooting technique, safe storage, legal methods to transport firearms and securing firearms in vehicles, laws governing where permitholders may carry firearms, laws regarding the permissible use of a firearm, laws regarding the permissible use of lethal force in self-defense, and mental health and mental health resources;
- The course must include live-fire shooting exercises where an applicant demonstrates his ability to safely handle and shoot each firearm that the applicant is applying to be licensed to carry; and
- Applicants must pass a written exam.
As for applicants that are renewing a CCW license, they must complete a course of training that is the same as outlined above, except:
- The course length must be no less than eight hours.
To meet California CCW standards, the required firearms training course must be 16 hours.
The reasoning for AB 2103 ans SB 2
Given California’s old law on CCW licenses, there are two main reasons for Assembly Bill 2103 and Senate Bill 2. The two reasons are:
- The promotion of public safety; and,
- The avoidance of unintentional shootings.
The idea is that if gun owners have some form of basic firearms training, then the accidents related to concealed firearms will decrease.
