California lawmakers are still dead set on making it harder for residents to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
State Sen. Jesse Arreguín introduced Senate Bill 948, which would tighten so-called gun safety rules. The bill targets the Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) system, which people are required to use if they want to purchase or receive a firearm in the Golden State.
California is a leader in promoting gun safety and responsible gun ownership, with some of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation. My newest bill, SB 948, builds upon this work, strengthening standards for obtaining a firearm safety certificate. https://t.co/ynP2v1LVmW
— State Senator Jesse Arreguín (@JesseArreguin) February 4, 2026
If passed, the bill would require new gun-owning residents to obtain an FSC within 60 days and attach a copy to the state’s Justice Department registration form. Failure to comply would be considered a misdemeanor offense.
Under the bill, every FSC applicant must take an eight-hour minimum training course led by approved instructor. The training must have at least one hour of live-fire range work on safety and gun laws. The state’s Justice Department would create standards for courses and instructors.
🚨 BREAKING: SB 948 has been introduced in California.
— Gun Owners of CA (@GunOwnersCA) February 5, 2026
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 pic.twitter.com/xIIgmdAMXj
In a press release, Arreguín noted that “California’s historically low rates of violent crime, in addition to having one of the lowest firearm death rates in the nation, demonstrates that our commonsense gun regulations are working.”
He further claimed the bill “ensures that existing laws are applied to firearms that are brought into California from other states, creating consistent safety standards that promote responsible gun ownership.”
The bill could face legal challenges under the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. It is unlikely that California will be able to find laws passed during the Founding era that are similar to this one, as the ruling requires of gun control laws.
Even further, there is no evidence showing that laws like this actually save lives. It is doubtful that a criminal who wants to use a gun to commit a crime will bother to obtain an FSC. As with all other gun control laws, this will only empower bad actors while leaving law-abiding folks vulnerable.