New California gun laws take effect in 2024, some local gun owners pushing back

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As a new state law affecting firearms goes into effect in less than a week, some local gun owners say it will soon be more complicated to carry a firearm in California.

"Right now, you have to do an eight-hour course, and on (January 1st), it's actually going to double the course to 16 hours, and then, renewals are four hours, and it's going to double to an eight-hour course," PRK Arms Store Manager Dakin Lott said.

He says he is not necessarily opposed to more training but disagrees with other aspects of the law.

Aside from doubling the hours of training needed, SB 2 raises the age from 18 to 21 to get a permit for concealed carry weapons or CCW.

The state law would also block people with CCW permits from bringing their firearms to some sensitive locations, like playgrounds, churches, bars, and many other places.

But a federal judge blocked that part of the law last week.

In a statement to Action News, Governor Gavin Newsom said the judge's ruling is "defying common sense," and he called it "repugnant."

"California will keep fighting to defend our laws and to enshrine a Right to Safety in the Constitution. The lives of our kids depend on it," Newsom said, in part.

But at the Firing Line in Clovis, owner Jake Belemjian told Action News the current system is not broken.

"You can ask any sheriff or chief of police about the number of issues that they have with people who have permits, and it's none or very, very, very few," Firing Line Owner Jake Belemjian said. "We're just not a motley crew. We're not bad people."

The Firing Line and PRK Arms also say another new law will impact their bottom line. Starting July 1st, an 11 percent sales tax on ammunition and firearms will kick in.

The state says money from that new tax would fund school safety and gun violence prevention programs, but Belemjian thinks it will only prevent people from protecting themselves.

"If you live in a bad neighborhood and you think that you need to defend yourself, maybe they've just priced you out of the market because you can't afford to pay those fees to get a permit," Belemjian said.

No matter what you think about the new laws, a sergeant at the Kings County Sheriff's Office told Action News it is important to handle guns responsibly.

Reach out to local law enforcement if you have questions about how the new laws impact you, he said.

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