How strict are gun laws in California?
Highly restrictive / banned
State law requires or includes a permit to purchase (partial), firearm registration, an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales, a red flag law and a waiting period.
California is classified “Highly restrictive / banned” for civilian gun ownership, as are 8 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Varies by region”.
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Permissive 31 states.
- Licensed / moderate 7 states.
- Restrictive 4 states.
- Highly restrictive / banned 8 states and the District of Columbia, including California.
Nearby states
- Nevada
- Licensed / moderate State law requires or includes a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
- Arizona
- Permissive No permit to purchase, registration, carry permit or private-sale background checks are required.
- Utah
- Permissive No permit to purchase, registration, carry permit or private-sale background checks are required.
- Oregon
- Licensed / moderate State law requires or includes a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
- Idaho
- Permissive No permit to purchase, registration, carry permit or private-sale background checks are required.
- Washington
- Restrictive State law requires or includes a permit to purchase, firearm registration (partial), an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
Other laws in California
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Assisted dying only
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Death Penalty
- Not used in practice
- Cannabis
- Legal
Civilian gun ownership in the United States → · How strict are gun laws around the world? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.