Concealed carry law causes delays, confusion for customers, business owner says

Two laws went into effect this year that complicate the process for citizens to obtain concealed carry permits in California and are causing some confusion, according to a local business owner.

The regulations introduced various statutory changes, including increased required training, expanded the list of locations where CCW holders are prohibited from carrying, and established new requirements regarding the appearance and information provided on the permit. The regulations were a direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in New York Pistol and Rifle Association v Bruen. This ruling invalidated a New York law that required a person to show cause for obtaining a permit.

A similar rule was in effect in California, so new regulations were developed to reflect the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Court challenges to the law led to an injunction by the California Ninth Circuit on Jan. 1, which was overturned six days later by the U.S. Court of Appeals, allowing the law to go into effect. Current challenges to the law are ongoing but are unlikely to result in a ruling before the end of the year, according to Todd Cotta, owner of Kings Gun Center in Hanford.

“It affects customers in a number of ways — time, money, frustration of being punished for something they didn’t do,” Cotta told The Hanford Sentinel. “CCW carriers are generally the most law-abiding and safest citizens in the country, even compared to doctors, preachers and police officers.”

Cotta added that when the law went into effect Jan. 1, there was no way to certify instructors and classes were delayed for several weeks because instructors had to meet the new requirements.

Hanford Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston agreed, adding that she knows of several former instructors who left after the new law went into effect. She added that the need for permits has not changed.

“It hasn’t slowed down our CCW issuance process, people are still completing courses and still applying,” Huddleston told The Hanford Sentinel in a phone interview. “I haven’t seen any impact on the number of CCWs we’ve issued.”

One change to the previous law that could have a significant impact is the expansion of the places where guns are banned. That now includes government buildings, banks, churches and more. Cotta said the range of places where guns are banned makes it nearly impossible for concealed carry permit holders to exercise their rights. Those places have the right to opt out by posting a sign by the door saying that concealed carry permit holders are permitted to carry.

“With churches, they put a sign in the parking lot and on the front door saying that firearms are legally allowed on the premises. What do you think an insurance adjuster is going to do when they first see that sign? They’re going to raise their rates or they’re going to cancel them altogether,” Cotta said.

The new restrictions increase the amount of time a person must spend on training to a minimum of 16 hours. Previously, it was up to 16 hours, with most courses lasting eight hours. The expansion has led to higher costs, with some courses costing more than $300. The rising costs have led to fewer new applicants, Cotta said.

“These laws only hurt the poor in society, just like the minimum wage laws and the new taxes that are going to be introduced, all these things only punish the poor because people who can afford it do it,” Cotta stressed.

Gun violence involving CCWs is extremely rare. According to the Violence Policy Center: Concealed Carry Killers, there have been just five homicides by CCW holders in California since 2009. The last homicide was committed by a CCW holder in 2019. When asked how often law enforcement officers encounter problems with CCW holders, Huddleston responded, “Not at all.”

“We have a great group of citizens who continue to obey the law and do their certification training and shoot as required,” Huddleston said.

In recent years, law enforcement has noticed a growing problem with illegally carrying weapons. Huddleston said that when she was a patrol officer, finding illegally carried weapons was rare and a big deal, but now it has become a common problem. She added that homemade weapons, often called ghost guns, have only made the problem worse.

The legislation has been endorsed by several gun control advocacy groups, including the Brady Campaign, Giffords Law Center and Moms Who Demand Action. Current challenges to the new legislation are being led by the California Rifle and Pistol Association.