Bringing your guns to California

It has been a while  since I made one of these posts. Funny enough, the few posts I have done in the past on this subject (Washington, Oregon, & Alaska/Canada) have great view numbers. Lots of people read them, van-dwellers and not, so I decided some time back to get back into posting about the pains of leading a nomadic lifestyle while exercising our 2nd Amendment right. Here goes…

I’m a nomad and I’m a gun owner. That means my guns travel with me, everywhere. As I travel around this country the gun laws change as I cross invisible lines on a political map. Not only must I know each of those laws, I must obey them. Traveling gun owners – like myself – are forced to  research each state’s (and some times each county and city) gun laws as they can vary dramatically. It can be somewhat of a pain, for sure.

These past few months I have been in the great state of California – my original ‘home state’ for 37 years until I moved to Colorado in 2008. California has some of, if not *the most*, restrictive gun laws in the country. In some respects California gun laws are stricter than Canada’s (and in others, not). Once again I must know and follow those laws while in the state of California.

Transporting your guns in California

Transporting a gun in and/or through California is nearly the same as the Federal “safe transport” laws. The Federal safe transport law allows a visitor of another state to “pass through” a more restrictive state without violating a state law as long as they do these bare minimums; a handgun gun must be unloaded and the handgun must be in a locked case (trunk will do, glove box will not). Long guns must also be unloaded, but do not require a locked case. “Passing through” a state does allow for necessary stops for gas, food, and rest. Follow these Federal recommendations in California, and you are in good shape…

… unless you have a “black scary rifle”. If California lawmakers have deemed your rifle an “assault weapon” (pretty much any rifle with a detachable magazine is an assault weapon as of 2018), it must be registered with the state and is NOT ALLOWED to be transported anywhere but to and from a shooting range and your home. You can not go sight-seeing with a registered assault weapon in your vehicle, locked up or not.

And then there are the laws about “large capacity magazines” in California. Any magazine that has the ability to hold more than 10 bullets is illegal to posses or import into the state. Nearly all semi-auto guns are factory-made with more than 10-bullet magazines (I like to refer to them as “standard capacity magazines”, as they do come standard from the factory that way). How does a nomad enter California legally then? Drop those magazines in the trash… mail them back to your home state… sell them to a firearms dealer in another state… I don’t have an answer here, just the cold hard truth.

Carrying a gun in California

OK, so we can come into and pass through the state, but what about carrying a gun in California for protection? With a conceal carry permit it is allowed to carry a concealed gun within the state. However, to get a conceal carry permit you must be a resident of California, which most nomads will not be. California does not recognize any other state’s conceal carry permit. So that leaves open-carry then, right?

As of 2012, the California law makers effectively eliminated all forms of open-carry  in the state. Previously you could openly carry an unloaded gun, but not anymore… kinda. Openly carrying of an unloaded gun is still possible in some rural unincorporated areas, but 1) you are carrying a useless gun, 2) criminals know it is unloaded so you only become a target to have it stolen, and 3) you will mostly likely still get a ride home in a police cruiser if it is spotted. Even though it is within the law it is not really allowed, if you get my drift.

There are a few areas a person can have a loaded gun within the state of California: 1) in their own home, 2) on their private own property, and 3) in their “temporary residence” which includes their camp. Yes, in California you can have a loaded gun when in your campsite or when legally hunting or fishing (pg 7). Your “camp” is your “home” during your stay and comes with all it’s protections and stand your ground laws regarding lethal force (Actually, CA is a Castle Doctrine state, which is very similar to SYG). Be aware – although you can have your gun in your camp/home, but you can not go on a hike with that loaded gun.

In effect, while in California you are forced to have your guns unloaded and locked during the transport phase of your visit to California. Once at your camp, you can have then unlocked and loaded. However, the last statement does not apply if you are staying in a California State Park. In the state parks or state recreation areas, you are not allowed to have a loaded gun, at all. Not even within your own RV.

Hey, if you don’t like these laws, you can do something about it. Vote in your state elections. Vote in the presidential elections. And most importantly, vote with your wallet by supporting gun-rights organizations like the National Rifle Association the Gun Owners of America and the Second Amendment Foundation (just to name a few).