California Bill Mandates 8-Hour Firearm Course to Buy a Gun — and for New Residents Bringing Guns Into the State

CALIFORNIA — Senate Bill 948, introduced on February 2, 2026, by Senator Jesse Arreguín, seeks to impose sweeping new restrictions on lawful firearm ownership in California. If passed, the bill would mandate that anyone seeking a Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) — which is already required to purchase a firearm in the state — must complete an 8-hour training course that includes at least one hour of live-fire exercises.

Even more concerning, the bill would force new residents who bring legally owned firearms into California to obtain an FSC within 60 days of arrival and submit it with their mandatory firearm registration. This would go into effect on January 1, 2027, while the 8-hour training requirement would begin July 1, 2028.

Under SB 948, the new course would cover topics including California firearm laws, safe storage, suicide prevention, conflict resolution, and live-fire shooting proficiency. The Department of Justice would oversee course standards, certification, and enforcement. The bill does not set a limit on the cost of this training, nor does it provide exemptions beyond those already established in law.

Reaction to SB 948 from the gun-owning community has been swift and overwhelmingly negative. A discussion thread on the /r/CAguns subreddit with hundreds of upvotes captured the concerns of many California gun owners.

One user summarized the core problem plainly:

“Live fire training with… what gun? You don’t own a gun yet, so you’d have to rent a gun in addition to purchasing rounds at the range… increasing the costs of training for new gun owners even more.”

Another added:

“This is a circular logic failure. It will effectively deny 2A rights to individuals who do not have someone that can lend them a firearm.”

Others pointed out that the bill creates a financial barrier that disproportionately affects low-income individuals, particularly those in communities with few gun ranges or instructors. As one user stated:

“We’re putting a monetary value on a constitutional right. Poor people can’t afford this… it’s basically making it so that low income and minority people can’t defend themselves.”

This bill is not about safety — it’s about discouraging lawful gun ownership. California already requires an FSC, which includes a written test and hands-on demonstration at the point of sale. There is no evidence that adding more hours, more bureaucracy, and more expense to this process will reduce crime. Criminals are not lining up to take DOJ-approved training courses.

What SB 948 does accomplish is placing yet another burden on the law-abiding. It makes it harder to exercise a fundamental right and adds complexity and cost to a process that should be straightforward and accessible. It’s a deliberate effort to reduce gun ownership by making it more expensive and more difficult, especially for those least able to absorb those costs.

If legislators were serious about safety, they would support voluntary training, fund community range access, and streamline the permitting process — not layer on punitive red tape that won’t stop a single violent criminal.

SB 948 is another example of California’s political class targeting legal gun owners under the guise of public safety. It deserves full opposition.