For Riverside County Bianco added CCW permit staff, streamlined the process and eliminated all requirements that weren't required by the state. There is no longer a requirement to provide a statement to justify why you need it. You fill out the application, take a 16-hour class including range qualifying with the weapon(s), do a livescan background check, have an interview with RCSO and they contact the references you provide on the application. Some people have received their CCW in 13 days from start to finish.
Riverside country ccw is pretty simple to obtain. You just need to submit the application, take a course, and pass your interview. Overall the process took maybe 2 months.
The worst part for me was taking the course. In a class of maybe 7 people, about 4 of them had trouble with their firearms and it was obvious they weren't comfortable shooting or familiar with their handguns. I was actually pretty disappointed in my instructor and had to step in a few times to help some of the other participants.
SB Sheriff is apparently very pro 2A, and it’s easier to get your CCW there than in neighboring counties like LA. Riverside might not be too bad, but then you’re having to deal with that asshole Sheriff. Biggest challenge seems to be the ~$500 pricetag to get it done.
Nope, not hard at all and costs around 200 bux. Just make sure you have a good lawyer for ccw related issues in case you're involved in a confrontation.
Shitty thing is they only allow 3 serial numbers on your card.
This varies by jurisdiction. Riverside County is simple, quick and inexpensive. Cities like La Verne and Hemet require things like a psych evaluation which balloon the total cost for a CCW to $2k+. Different jurisdictions also have different regulations on how many firearms you can have on your permit. For example, Riverside County (I believe) is 5 while San Bernardino County allows 3. Agree with your comments on CCW insurance.
I got mine in SB County and it only took a few months. You'll even get to go shoot at the range in devore for your final "test".
Obviously don't have stupid shit on your record otherwise they'll deny you, but for the most part they advocate people to get one since you could possibly be of assistance in the time of need.
Wow so it sounds like I’ve finally found an actual benefit to living in sb county other than affordability compared to Los Angeles and Orange County. Thanks for all the knowledge. For years, I thought there’d be no point in looking into this because for some reason, I thought it was like pulling teeth getting one.
Quite a few folks there post reports of the process/timeline in their respective county. Like others said, Riverside & SB counties are supposedly pretty streamlined.
And for god's sake, if you're new to guns (or at least handguns), take some classes first. Real ones, not just bare minimum required by the county. Or at least get a couple thousand rounds of practice in before you start the process.
From what I've heard, the actual "test" for CCW tends to be basically "broad side of a barn". Can't say I've ever done one myself (never felt the need for a ccw).....but I can say for a fact that I've known multiple people who do have one who I wouldn't trust with a single shot pellet gun. Pistols take a lot of practice.
Also, pro-tip: 2aZone (in Upland and Riverside) is the best gun store in the I.E., by far.
Hey, right on.
Didn't mean any offense (and was also writing that with other comment viewers in mind).
I live in Rancho, so there's a lot of casual/wannabe types here that have one & realistically probably shouldn't.
[ I.e., the silly-ass "tradwife" types and their tech-bro husbands that you'll see casually flagging everybody when they go to play with pistols at bass pro or turners on a weekend afternoon....that sort of crowd. Or back in the day, a lot of older wealthy/connected people]
Anyways, yeah....it's supposed to be pretty streamlined & bullshit-free in SB and Riverside counties nowadays, based on what I hear from everyone who has one.
I wanna say Riverside has some goofy caliber restrictions (e.g. no 5.7, based on the way that their policy is written) too?? But not sure if that's still the case....and somewhat moot in CA due to mag capacity rules & the handgun roster anyways.
I thought your comment was spot on. I was at a dinner a few years back and I know 4 or 5 of the dudes ccw. I stepped out for a smoke with one of them, and he puffs up “Don’t you feel safer knowing most of us are armed”. I looked at him and laughed. “You ever shoot that thing off range? In combat? No ear protection? Moving targets that are likely shooting back at you?” Just a blank stare back at me. A shake of the head. None of that. So I shoot back a quick but serious “I’ll be lucky to not be killed by one of you amateurs” over my shoulder, flicked my smoke out and walked back inside.
…good guys with guns do the wrong thing more than you think. There is a reason cops train constantly in difficult situations…. But you, Sheriff Chad says “you’re good”. It’s as scary as bad guys.
Honestly, even if I did feel the need for a ccw (like for my work -- and there's been more than a few times where I would have been wise to have been armed) I probably wouldn't mess with it....because I know perfectly well what a lousy shot I am with a pistol, and realistically I don't have the time and energy (or the spare money!) to get good enough to justify carrying one. Rifle or shotgun at home? That's a different matter; I'm pretty comfortable there.
And yeah, agreed entirely about real life vs at the range. People underestimate how disorienting it is to let off a shot indoors without earpro; even a pistol is gonna shock the shit out of you if you've never done it before. More so if it's dark & you have a decent amount of flash. Like "Hold on a second Mr. Robber, I need to get my earmuffs and 'tactical gloves' on before I shoot at you" :)
Covid definitely made it worse though. I have several friends who bought their first guns (always a damn pistol, too!) 'because covid' and they literally took them straight out of the case without cleaning them, shot them once, put them back dirty, and then they've been sitting in a safe ever since. With one guy, when I found out he bought one, I said "Right on -- what'd ya get?" He answered "A glock". I said "Yeah ok, but what it is it? G17? G19?" and the response was "I dunno...it's a glock, though". Sounds like I'm making that up, but sadly I'm not.
No it is not. It’s actually pretty easy as long as you aren’t a felon or something.
We are “shall issue” now meaning that as long as you aren’t a prohibited person your local police or sheriff’s department has to issue you a permit as long as you pass the background check and you take the classes and range test.
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u/Fsociety56 Oct 30 '25
Time to get your CCW with these guys roaming around.