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Moving to CA?

3K views 38 replies 27 participants last post by  tscarpenter 
#1 ·
So my wife's grandfather has willed us a VERY nice house in San Diego, this house is LOADED! 6 beds, 4 bath with a pool, and maids apartment. On water front property. Its a dream come true!! :image035:

Now, I havent been to California since my Marine Corps days and I dont see many members on here from CA. That leads me to believe that concealed carry must either be very strict or non-existant. I know that guns are very controled in CA, but how controled?

I told my wife that we wont move if I have to get rid of my guns or stop carrying. We will sell the house and use the money to buy one up here in WA! That didnt go over well.:blackeye:

I tried looking up the laws on the provided link but it was broken. So I dont know, anyone have any advice or know about the laws in CA?

This puts me in a very bad place if I cant CC.
 
#2 ·
Edited: I didn't read your post carefully enough the first time. Sorry to say, but San Diego will not issue concealed carry permits to regular citizens. If you are an attorney, a jeweler, a private investigator or a bounty hunter you might manage to get one.



Avenger,

The chief of police and/or county sheriff has complete discretion in the issuance of a concealed carry permit. Some counties such as Kern or Humboldt are shall issue while others such as L.A. and Sacramento will issue only to celebrities political donors or various government denizens (prosecutors, judges etc.). I recommend visiting calguns.net.

Chances are, any evil black rifles you might own are illegal as presently configured and possibly banned altogether. Handguns are limited to those on a roster which may be viewed here

Good luck.

Ryan
 
#3 ·
San Diego home? Dang, it sounds like you really died and went to Heaven! I agree with your wife so don’t sell it! Being 45-years old or younger, you would be unwise not to hang on to that place.

Ok, I was with the SDSO a long time ago, although I believe the CC issue is still pretty much the same. The Sheriff decides whether you get a permit. You must articulate your need very carefully and be aware that fear for your life or family members isn’t considered just cause. Yeah I know, welcome to California. I recommend that you join a local gun club, attend a course, and ask a lot of questions before submitting a request for a permit. In fact, don’t even bother applying soon after you arrive because you must be there a while before they’ll even look at it.

As for your guns in general, check out the website for restricted weapons, but for the most part, you should be fine.
Regards,
 
#4 ·
California doesn't recognize ANY other state's CCW. So, you'll have to become a resident here if you want to apply for a permit. Open carry is possible but there are hoops (aren't there always?) you need to jump through and limitations you need to know about and obey. California does NOT issue non-resident permits.

CCW here is limited in the more populated areas. San Diego does not have a liberal permit sheriff so you WILL need "good cause" in order to get a permit. Most of the inland counties are more generous with their permit issuance however, it IS possible to get a CCW permit in the other counties.

And, regardless of what some others will say, CCW in California is possible and guns are not as controlled as in other states. There are limitations but (in actuality) fewer limitations than in some other states which are touted as being "free." (Texas and Florida being good examples because OC is NOT allowed in either but it allowed here. Some other states restrict carry in Church or the bank, neither is off limits here. No ammo ban for hollow points either.)

Before bringing guns into the state you should ask on this forum as well as on Calguns.net for specifics regarding certain mil style weapons and magazine capacity for handguns. You will also need to register handguns with the Dept of Justice if you decide to move here and become a resident. $19 per handgun. Long guns are not required to be registered and no permit is required to own or possess firearms or buy ammo.

As far as selling the San Diego place, there are LOTS of other places in the state which are more CCW friendly, cheaper to buy/maintain a home in, are just as pretty, have just as much stuff to do to keep you occupied, and have BETTER weather (both political and temperature). Not that there's anything wrong with San Diego, it's just not my cup of tea and I would not choose to live there again. I guess that means that my opinion on the place is a bit biased.
 
#6 ·
OK, I'm in San Diego and a lifelong CA resident. CA gun laws are ready to change big time in the next year or so. A pair of major CCW lawsuits have already been filed. The "safe handgun roster" is also headed into the courts. Our AWB is manageable until it too sees the inside of a court, later this year.

For now, your ARs will need to be using 10-rd mags and you'll need to install Bullet Buttons on each lower. Other than that, you're probably OK. If your lowers are listed on the Kasler list (when our Dept. of Justice was still allowed to list specific makes and models), those might be "legally challenged." Changing lowers is a pain but doable.

A couple of major points: First, think money. The house she inherited from her grandfather is passed down with Proposition 13 intact. That means if it was purchased back to 1978, the property taxes are limited to 1% per year increase. For those of you in states with heavy property taxes, this is HUGE! While the house might be worth more than $2M, if he bought it pre-real estate boom, he may have spent less than $200K. You would now have a property tax bill less than that of a $400K house! Literally "Grandfathered" in! If you do sell, your capital gains is based off the current market value of the house. The market today will not get you top dollar but then you won't find that anywhere else either.

Once you live in SD for a bit, you'll understand why we stick it out. The weather here smokes anywhere else in the USA. For the next few days, we can't see the sun and suffer in mid-60 highs and lows. By the weekend, our "May gray" and "June gloom" will have broken and blue skies again. You have desert and long-range shooting within an hour's drive, off-roading, SCUBA, surfing, boating, animal parks and a whole lot more.

CCW right now in SD requires either self-employment (or business-related), being an attorney/judge/doctor/etc., or personally threatened. The lawsuits in action already will soon get court dates. Either lawsuit has a good chance of prevailing since the current system just begs corruption. The lawyers have done a good job of documenting that in the filings. If you can deal with it for a while, it will be worth the wait. Unloaded open carry is (technically) legal but may not be worth the hassle. I'd wait it out and enjoy the scenery until things change.

Your best reference today is Calguns.net. Go there!
 
#7 ·
All good info posted here:
  • Ten rnd Mags Only!
  • a lot so called Assault Weapons banned.
  • Banned handguns (ones not on the DOJ list) CAN be brought into CA but may only be re-sold to a LEO
  • You must have a 'Good Cause' for obtaining a CCW, which is at sheriff's descretion.
  • I think SD county has a pro 2A guy running for sheriff in the next election. I don't know his chances.
 
#29 ·
Your third point is INCORRECT. Banned handguns CAN be brought into CA, and CAN be resold in private sales to any otherwise non-prohibited person.

Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale - Firearms Division - California Dept. of Justice - Office of the Attorney General

Effective January 1, 2001, no handgun may be manufactured within California, imported into California for sale, lent, given, kept for sale, or offered/exposed for sale unless that handgun model has passed firing, safety, and drop tests and is certified for sale in California by the Department of Justice. Private party transfers, curio/relic handguns, certain single-action revolvers, and pawn/consignment returns are exempt from this requirement.
Also, with the housing costs in San Diego - think about what you could buy in Washington State or Oregon for the amount of money that you would get by selling the house in San Diego...you could buy a true mansion.
 
#8 ·
I like my freedom too much to ever go back to California. I would sell and buy something twice as good in another state or just call it a vacation home and visit every now and then, but living there, no thank you.
 
#9 ·
You won't be happy here if you're coming from one of the free states. Trust me.....I moved here from Utah and can't wait to get back.
If your wife is like mine, it might be better to not use the CCW issue as a reason to not move here. If the house is paid off I would consider renting it out (use a management company). If you want to buy another house where you are, take enough equity out of the San Diego house to get you into a nice house and sit it out until the market creeps back up or you decide to move to San Diego. If it's really beachfront property it's gotta be worth 750k or more even in this recession.
 
#10 ·
Visit, maybe, but live there?? No way would I move to CA. Rent the house or sell it, but I would not move to CA, just because I inherited a house. Sure, great weather perhaps, but at a price. Earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, GANGS, liberal politicians, illegal immigrants, broke government, fruits, nuts and other unpleasant things.Not to mention their attitude towards guns and gun owners.
 
#11 ·
Because we all know there are no gangs, liberal politicians or illegal immigrants in Florida :rolleyes:.

Unlike much of the rest of the country, there are few natural disasters here, virtually all of them are man made: fire, building your house on a ridge with millions of pounds of mature chaparral below you is a disaster waiting to happen; mudslides, building your house at the base of a slope that will be denuded when the next wildfire comes through is a disaster waiting to happen. As far as earthquakes: Floridians are several times more likely to be struck by lightning than a Californian is to be injured or killed by an earthquake even when at the epicenter of said earthquake.

Ryan
 
#12 ·
Not to get off track but what are bullet buttons? I have never heard of the term.
I really liked San Diego. Thought about staying there when I got out of the Corps. Glad I didn't now.
I don't even like to visit there.
Semper Fi
 
#13 ·
+1 on Rivers post. Especially the financial considerations.

Bullet Buttons...It's a California thing you wouldn't understand. No seriously, they are a mod on the AR lower that requires a "tool" to release the mag to prevent rapid reloads. The tool of choice is usually just the tip of a bullet.
 
#16 ·
I wouldn't move to Kalifornia if I was willed the Governor's mansion. Sell that sucker and build your dream home in a state where you can own and carry pretty much as you desire. Usae whatever is left over to get some really sweet guns.
 
#17 ·
California, a nice place to visit but hell to live there. Aside from the gun issue, California is a state on the edge of bankruptcy. Just recently they couldn't give taxpayers their tax refunds, but those walfare parasites got their annual raise, no problem. The crime rate is astronomical, some areas are literal free fire zones and believe it or not state and local gov'ts actually subsidize the violence with cash handouts to "youth organizations" which are nothing but fronts for gangs run by "reformed" gang members. All types of taxes are always on the rise and when citizens do manage to pass a tax lowering referendum, some socialist judge overturns it.
If you've never witnessed an invasion, California is the place to go. With their open border policy and granting illegal border jumpers preferred customer status, the state infrastracture is on the verge of collapse. California is more like a third world country than part of the United States. In the summer brown outs are a common occurance and only getting worse with its burgeoning population of nontax paying illegals who have realized that the state will bend over backwards to meet their demands.
As for guns, despite posts of optimism, things only get worse as time goes by.
Their list of banned assault weapons continues to expand while they whittle away at gun rights. You don't need a permit to buy ammo....YET, but they're working on it. As for concealed carry, California is a "may issue" state. I'd hate to have my rights dependent on who the sheriff is, and YES, permits issued by one sheriff can be revoked by the one that replaces him. Its already happened and I believe it was in San Diego county. Your chances of getting a permit are virtually nil unless you're a psycho like Sean Penn or a communist revolutionary like Tom Hayden. California and normal just don't go together.
Do yourself a favor and sell the house and buy a mansion in a neighboring pro-gun state like Nevada or Arizona, where houses are far cheaper. You can always go to Disneyland on a three day weekend.
 
#18 ·
*sigh* So much misinformation here it's unbelievable. Oh well, either keep the house or sell it the choice is YOURS. And, you are the only one it matters to in the end.

Oh yeah, thanks again to all those who DO NOT live here and have no idea what the heck they are talking about for once again bashing California out of ignorance. We really do appreciate you taking the time to keep your ignorant selves at home instead of infesting our fair state. Please stay away because there are already enough idiots living here that we do not need more coming from your hometown and making things worse.
 
#19 ·
Obviously, some people have it in for CA. Gangs around every corner, earthquakes every day, every politician driving a Bentley, and all the cops doing Gestapo imitations. Makes a frightening story but it isn't reality.

1. You can get a CCW. And, referring to "automatic slim's" post, I am not a psycho, nor are any of those I know who have CCWs. And, while the current system is legally vulnerable but still valid, it will likely not last much longer before "shall issue" is the standard. When the politicians fail to act, the courts - even in CA - can strike down unconstitutional and illegal laws.

2. The border is not controlled by CA or San Diego. That's a federal issue which residents of border states have very vocally "discussed."

3. From the basic description of the home the OP's wife is inheriting, you could bulldoze the structure and sell the ground for upwards of $1M. The house across the street from mine had exactly that done eight years ago, except only sold for $650K being a half mile from the surf. If my guess is correct, there are only a couple neighborhoods where your house could be located. Gangs do not either live or roam there. The worst crime is either vehicle-related, or disorderly conduct. But crime can happen anywhere. It's just not as likely there. My guess is that the home is in either La Jolla, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay or Del Mar. The prices will vary, starting at $2M. One "large" home in La Jolla sold last month for a REDUCED price of $17M!

4. Remember the money aspect of this equation. While your cost of living will be higher (gasoline, food, etc.), your home expense is pennies on the dollar. If the OP decides to rent out the house, remember that one needs to occupy the home at least two of the previous five years for the income tax deduction. I expect that if the OP does occupy the house and get familiar with SD, he won't quickly move away. I KNOW his wife won't move!

5. The list of banned lowers cannot expand, by judicial order. That is my reference to the Kasler list of lowers. When the CA DoJ abused the law by banning by series, etc., the court (in a lawsuit brought by CA gun owners) ruled that was an abuse of the law and ordered the DoJ to list by NAME and MODEL the banned lowers. Once that list was done, it could not be changed. You can get Stag, CMMG, KD, S & W, etc. lowers in CA with no issue, totally legal. My only warning is to see if the OP's lowers are listed on the Kasler roster. If so, do not bring those lowers into CA. Uppers are typically fine as long as the whole gun is at least 30.125" long. A 14.5" barrel with a muzzle brake is typically fine. You do not have to register long arms including shotguns and rifles.

6. On the UP side is that you can bring in your pistols, even if not "approved" by CA. You cannot bring in ASSEMBLED magazines with capacity over 10 rounds, nor can you assemble them in CA. If, for example, you bring in an HK P30 which is not approved, you can sell that (without assembled 10+ round mags) in CA to anyone (like me...) through an FFL in a Person-to-Person Transfer. If you sell it on consignment or to an FFL, then it can only be sold to a LEO. Keep in mind that the CA "safe gun" roster is being challenged both in CA and in Wash DC. The exact revolver that the SCOTUS ordered DC to register for Dick Heller is not on CA's list, nor can it ever be since the mfg is out of business. Since Wash DC has specifically used CA's list for guns it will allow to be registered, the federal court in DC is looking at the situation. If they throw out the list there, it's toast in CA too. Like I said, things are changing regarding gun laws in CA, and for the better.

Just take a trip to check it out. If the OP needs or wants some tips on the area, just PM or email me. There are a lot of firearm enthusiasts in CA, far more than you might think. We don't advertise it so we don't attract the criminal element, but we're here and getting stronger every day.
 
#21 ·
This is disingenuous because it is only ONE county with a brand new "appointed sheriff" who has done exactly opposite of what she affirmatively stated she would do during her interviews with the Orange County Board of Supervisors prior to being hired.

So far she has had BOS members surveilled, illegally videotaped confidential memo's and notes, engaged in public intimidation, and has attempted to "revoke" already issued CCW permits without cause (which would cause the person whose permit was revoked to have a bad mark on his DOJ background check) among other assorted nefarious acts. Her days as OC sheriff are numbered if the polls among the OC residents are to be believed. Certainly there is an active and vocal lobby organization who is working to get her fired or elect one of her opponents in 2010.

You cannot say that all of California is like this one sheriff. In fact, the opposite is more true than not. So, basically you are spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) based on misinformation garnered from one ongoing situation that is not typical. Anyone can take a newspaper clipping from just about anywhere and do the same. It would be equally untrue for that as for what you are doing here.
 
#22 ·
Look, let's face it. Unless you want a divorce, you're moving. While not an ideal state, California isn't as bad as many have made it out to be, it's just a high tax, lousy gun law state. I moved to California from Las Vegas in 2000, as I my girlfriend lived in Sunnyvale. We both had a good income (me>$100K, her, megabucks), and we would alternate flying each weekend. She was hit by a car while riding her bike to work, and developed chronic midback pain, that numerous procedures have failed to cure or even identify the cause. Because of her pain, she wasn't able to fly, and I had to fly every weekend. That sucked, but I couldn't do anything about it. Once I finally found a job, I moved to be with her, with the agreement that we would move to Las Vegas within 5 years. I hated Northern California, and I couldn't wait to leave. Of course, my job was the best that I ever had, great pay, great benefits, great people to work with, and an organization that was great to deal with, all the way to the top. And since returning, my job situation has been terrible. Heck, if I could get that job back, I would move back! As much as I hate the area, I loved that job. Of course, having to give up carrying unless I was out of state, and also having to do something with my AR15, Socom II, and AK 47, not to mention having to pack up any mag over 10 rounds, would suck big time!
 
#23 ·
I guess I didn't catch why your wife insists that you move to CA to live in the house? does it have a lot of sentimental value for her? (other than being quite nice?) I'll out my california ignorance and bigotry here.... NO THANKS! I've visited your fine state - had fun but I choose not to live there. Liberty Lake is a nice area and you could buy a nice place in the Spokane - Coeur d' Alane area with the money from a house such as that. I used to live in spokane and fly cargo there almost weekly (or more) and wish I could move back there from Seattle - and California is taking it one step too far on the "left coast" for me! Not trying to offend any californians - I have a lot of friends out there and from there - but personally I'd stay away and pay my taxes elsewhere.:gah:
 
#24 ·
I can understand Californians wanting to take pride in their state. However facts are facts and the truth of the matter is:

Open carry in California is allowed only in unincorporated areas where it hasn't been MADE ILLEGAL by law. BTW you need a permit even for open carry.

As far as private transfers are concerned, California is one of only three states that bans them completely. Even states like New York and Massachussetts have more liberal laws.

Class III firearms are completely prohibited unless you own a movie studio.

To just transport a loaded firearm in a vehicle you need a permit.

Worst of all, California is one of only a handful of states that has no provision in the state constitution protecting the right to bear arms, thats why it's so easy to pass anti-gun legislation.

Rob P. is right, only one sheriff has revoked CCW permits. One so far.......
 
#26 ·
...Worst of all, California is one of only a handful of states that has no provision in the state constitution protecting the right to bear arms, thats why it's so easy to pass anti-gun legislation...
But California's Constitution specifically says it defaults back to the US Constitution for anything not covered [by the state constitution]. California lawmakers just interpret the US Constitution the way it suits their purpose.

The best source of CCW info I have found for California is California Concealed Carry (CCW) Forum

There are a lot of very helpful and knowledgeable members there.

I hope this helps.
+1 Yep! California Concealed Carry (CCW) Forum an excellent place to get info on California.

You also want to click on Tim's link for great holsters. Off topic I know but you really should visit Tim's site. I'm one of his satisfied customers.
 
#28 ·
I visited a friend in SD a few months ago, obviously leaving all my gear at home. I haven't felt so vulnerable since I got my permit last year. Even when I broke my arm and was walking around in a sling at home I felt safer than down there. I *might* consider visiting again, but I would never move there, nor recommend anyone else to.
 
#31 ·
You have to able to show just cause for concealing a handgun (What a crock!). More than likely, you won't be issued one.
 
#32 ·
There are a few thing's that need to be mentioned about CCW in california
1.If you are moving to OC you WILL NOT get a CCW so don't even try, the new sherrif is revoking existing permits, last I heard she was at 500
2.You must live in the county that you are going to get your CCW in for a YEAR befor you can apply.
3.If you move to a new county you must reapply in that county, and it goes under thare discretion so you might not get one.
4.California dose not recognise anyother stete's permit's, but is recognized in 13 other states.
It is actually verry easy to get a CCW in California, but you have to live in specific countie, some are shall issue and some are will issue, I have my CCW in Mono Co. and the reason I put down why I needed one was "To protect myself, my family, my property, and others."and after a tactical class, 300 dollars and 90 day's, I had my permit. So dont beleve all the negitive stuff that is being said about California it's a beautiful place to live.
 
#34 ·
I have a CCW permit here in CA and it really wasn't a big deal. Local Sheriff is basically shall issue.

I did have to wait 189 days, so that was a long time. Basically, budget cuts are making the background check take around 90 days just for that alone.
 
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