California Democrats Push Training Course Requirement for Would-Be Gun Buyers
California Democrats are pushing legislation to require passage of a state-approved training course–including “live-fire shooting”–to secure the certificate necessary to buy a gun in the state.
Current California law mandates that all gun buyers possess a firearm safety certificate which can be acquired by passing a test. The newly introduced legislation, SB948, augments the means of acquiring such a certificate by requiring passage of an eight-hour, state-approved training course.
The text of the bill says:
Existing law requires an applicant for a firearm safety certificate to pass a test developed by the Department of Justice covering specified subjects, including, among others, the laws applicable to carrying and handling firearms and the responsibilities of ownership of firearms.
This bill would require an applicant for a firearm safety certificate, on or after July 1, 2028, to complete a training course no less than 8 hours in length that, among other things, includes instruction on firearm safety and handling and live-fire shooting exercises on a firing range. The bill would authorize the Department of Justice to promulgate regulations and provide additional information for the implementation of this subdivision.
Gun Owners of California commented on the new legislation with a post to X, which said: “The bill would require a state-approved class and live-fire training just to purchase a firearm. Brought to you by the same genius Sen. that passed background checks for barrels. Jesse Arreguin.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
