Open Carry in California

Generally prohibited. It is generally illegal to carry an exposed and unloaded handgun on one's person or in a vehicle in a public place or public street in an incorporated city, or on a public street in a prohibited area of unincorporated territory (Pen. Code § 26350), and illegal to carry a loaded firearm in public (§ 25850). The exception is a license to carry loaded and exposed, available only to residents of counties with fewer than 200,000 people and valid only in that county.

Without a CCW license, a handgun may be transported by motor vehicle by a U.S. citizen over 18 who is not prohibited, only if it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container; the glove or utility compartment does not count. Rifles and shotguns need not be in a locked container but must be unloaded while transported. Registered assault weapons must be unloaded, in a locked container, and moved only between specified locations. Carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle in a public place or on a public street is illegal, and a driver or owner may not knowingly let a passenger carry one. CCW licensees in a sensitive place may keep a firearm locked in a DOJ-approved lock box in the vehicle.

Everyone: possessing a firearm in a school zone (K-12 grounds and within 1,000 feet) is generally prohibited (Pen. Code § 626.9), and bringing a firearm onto a public or private college or university campus without written permission is a felony. CCW licensees may not carry in the places listed in Pen. Code § 26230(a). According to DOJ (March 27, 2025), 20 of the 26 are enforceable: school zones; preschools and childcare facilities; buildings controlled by state executive or legislative officers; court buildings; local government buildings; detention facilities; colleges and universities; airports and passenger vessel terminals; nuclear (NRC-regulated) sites; police stations; polling places; bars and restaurants that serve alcohol; playgrounds and youth centers; parks and athletic facilities; most state parks and Fish and Wildlife property (hunting areas excepted); casinos and gambling sites; stadiums and arenas; public libraries; amusement parks; and zoos and museums (most including parking areas). Still blocked by a court injunction: hospitals and medical facilities; public transit; permitted public gatherings; places of worship; financial institutions; and the default ban on private businesses open to the public without a sign allowing carry.