Fresno County Sheriff responds to SB2 implementation!

As you may be aware, on January 1, 2024, CA SB 2 took effect and went into law.  This bill severely limits where a CCW permit holder can carry a firearm. With that said, there have been numerous appeals filed with the courts regarding this legislation. On December 27, 2023, Federal Judge Cormac J. Carney approved a request for a preliminary injunction of a new state concealed weapons law that would add restrictions on where guns can be carried and some other hurdles to getting a permit.  Meaning, CCW permit holders could still carry in so-called sensitive places.

However, shortly after this preliminary injunction was granted, California Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to appeal the preliminary injunction issued by Judge Carney.  On December 30, 2023, a federal appeals court issued an administrative stay, overriding the injunction and clearing the way for California's law to ban the carrying of guns in most public places.  The three judge panel put a hold on Judge Carney's ruling who declared portions of SB 2 to be unconstitutional. 

As your Fresno County Sheriff, I can only speak to you strictly about the mission and direction of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.  I began this post with the summary of recent decisions surrounding CA SB 2 because the status of where CCW permit holders can legally carry firearms seems to change every couple of days and can be confusing to our CCW permit holders.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will NOT be out actively looking for individuals who may be in violation of CA SB 2 at this time.  We do not have adequate resources and due to the numerous pending appeals, we do not believe it is in the best interests of those we serve in Fresno County.  Based on statistics and facts, our CCW permit holders here in Fresno County and across the State of California are law abiding residents who rarely, if ever, are associated with violent crimes involving the use of firearms.  Our resources at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will continue to be focused on arresting violent criminals and those individuals who illegally possess and use firearms while engaged in criminal activity.   

Please remember that there are many other law enforcement agencies throughout Fresno County and the State of California who may be impacted by this new law that took effect January 1, 2024.  I urge all of you to carefully pay attention to what is going on with this legislation as I am sure there will be changes and updates in the days and weeks ahead.  If you are applying for a new CCW permit or looking to renew a current CCW permit, please be patient with our staff.  They are doing their very best during these trying times and are focused on ensuring that your CCW gets issued or renewed as soon as possible. 

Also be aware that very few, if any, instructors are certified to teach the new CCW classes that are required under CA SB 2 as the CA DOJ has been slow to start the application process for CCW instructors.  The California State Sheriff's Association (CSSA) has identified concerns with these regulations.  Specifically, how they would reduce the number of acceptable training and certification entities that can be used to certify CCW instructors and ignore or disregard the economic impact of that change.  The CSSA has submitted comments to Cal DOJ and the Office of Administrative Law noting these concerns and asks that the regulations be withdrawn or amended to have the offending provisions removed or remedied.

Fresno County Sheriff,

John Zanoni

1/2/24