AB1948 and AB1912 (2026): Concealed Carry License Reforms and Archery-Season Concealed Carry

What the Bills Do

Two bills in the 2026 session address California's concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit framework from different angles.

AB1948 amends Penal Code section 26220 to extend the maximum standard CCW license term from two years to three years^[1]. California's CCW permitting system was substantially overhauled by SB2 (2023), which was enacted in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022). SB2 imposed new training requirements, expanded the list of "sensitive places" where concealed carry is prohibited, and established new criteria for permit issuance. AB1948 changes license duration within this framework.

AB1912 amends Fish and Game Code section 4370^[2]. It repeals the prohibition on carrying or having immediate control of a firearm while taking or attempting to take deer during archery season. It does not amend the Penal Code concealed carry licensing provisions.

Current Status

AB 1948 is now law. It passed both houses without a no vote (71-0 in the Assembly, 38-0 in the Senate), was signed by Governor Newsom on June 30, 2026, and was chaptered the same day as Chapter 44, Statutes of 2026 ^[3]. The enacted version amends only Penal Code section 26220, raising the maximum term of a standard CCW license from two years to three years. The chaptered text contains no six-year renewal term, and the existing special durations (90-day employment-based licenses and up to four-year licenses for certain reserve and custodial officers) are unchanged. The act carries no urgency clause, so the change takes effect January 1, 2027. Licenses issued before that date remain capped at two years.

AB 1912 passed the Assembly 68-0 on April 16, 2026. It passed its Senate policy committees 7-0 on June 9 and 6-0 on June 30 and was ordered to the consent calendar July 2. It passed the Senate on August 10, 2026 and was approved by the Governor on August 27, 2026. It was chaptered that day as Chapter 132, Statutes of 2026^[4]. The act takes effect January 1, 2027.

What to Watch

For AB 1948, the operative question is timing. The three-year maximum applies beginning January 1, 2027, so licenses issued or renewed through the end of 2026 still carry the two-year maximum. License holders will see the longer term on their first issuance or renewal after that date, at the discretion of the issuing authority, since PC 26220 sets a ceiling rather than a mandatory term. AB 1912 has completed enactment. Its repeal of the archery-season firearm prohibition takes effect January 1, 2027. It does not create an exemption from concealed carry licensing requirements.