California’s “may issue” concealed carry regime has divided the state into a patchwork of regions that may or may not protect the right to keep and bear arms.
The stark contrast of those regions was on full display over the weekend when Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson was sworn in as the county’s 23rd sheriff.
While some California sheriff’s rarely or never issue permits, Sheriff Johnson committed to maintaining what is effectively a “shall issue” jurisdiction.
“I am absolutely a Second Amendment supporter. I will not revoke, I will not scale down CCWs,” he said, according to the Redding Record Searchlight. “As long as you’re legally able to possess a firearm and you go through the proper checklist, you are trained good enough, I will support that and you will still get your CCWs.”
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The term “may-issue” refers to jurisdictions like California that do not guarantee a qualified applicant will receive a license to carry a concealed handgun. These regimes often require applicants to prove they have a “good cause” to carry a firearm, and California allows local law enforcement to define what constitutes a “good cause.”
May-issue states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.
All other states are either “Constitutional carry” or “shall-issue” jurisdictions. Laws vary by state, but generally speaking, shall-issue states guarantee that an applicant who has completed the necessary background checks and training will receive a license to carry a concealed firearm. Constitutional carry states allow all law-abiding residents to bear arms without a permit.
May-issue states allow local law enforcement to dictate whether the people in his or her jurisdiction will have full access to Second Amendment rights. In Fresno County, for example, there are 17 people licensed to carry concealed firearms per 1,000 residents, according to the Fresno Bee. In Shasta County, there are 45 permits per 1,000 residents, the highest concentration in the state.
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By contrast, Alameda County (where Oakland is located) has issued or renewed about 250 licenses per year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In a county of 1.7 million, the ratio of active license holders is doubtless much smaller than in the state’s more rural counties.
Same story in Los Angeles County. The state’s most populous area, home to over 10 million people, has only about 1,000 active permits, according to the Washington Examiner. This equals only 0.1 permits per 1000 residents, 450 times fewer permits than in Shasta County.
Shasta County residents don’t have more “good cause” to receive concealed carry permits—they just happen to live in a jurisdiction that respects Second Amendment rights.
California residents in LA County and other restrictive jurisdictions still have cause for hope. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of gun rights in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett, all California residents may be able to enjoy the same rights as those in Shasta County.