California CCW Application Advice

[Paladin]

The below GC categories are listed from, roughly, weakest to strongest. Note well there's a range within each category. For example, someone who's work equipment is worth $10,000 (might pass Light Red) is assumed to be more at risk than someone who's equipment is worth only $1,000 (might pass Yellow). Plus, remember that equipment that cost you $1,000 isn't equivalent to someone making $500 cash deposits. Your equipment is not only used (let's say it would fetch $600), but also it's stolen (might then drop that to $300). Similarly, someone who walks with a slight limp (might pass Dark Green), is not as vulnerable as someone who requires a cane (might pass Light Green) and they're not as vulnerable as someone who requires a wheelchair (might pass Yellow). Evaluation of GC isn't black and white, but often shades of gray, a judgment call. That's one of the reasons why we say the map may be off by 1 color in either direction. So, if you have a GC that is listed under Light Green below it might pass in a Yellow county. Apply if you really want a CCW and can afford to waste the time, money and effort in applying since you're most likely to be denied. (Going through the process might be good practice.) Remember: we should win a robust 2nd A RBA from SCOTUS by 2022 July 01.

All the below Good Causes will likely pass in a Dark Green county. This is Virtual Shall Issue because virtually all of us can get issued here.

(1) "Self Defense"/"Personal Protection"

(2) Regularly gets cash at ATMs or fills up at gas stations late at night in rough parts of town and has proof of that (e.g., receipts). Avid shooter who often goes to a range before or after work, as seen by club membership card, receipts and photos. Often the interviewing LEO asks you for scenarios of threats/attacks that might happen in your daily life and ask how you'd respond.

(3) You have a medical condition (e.g., heart disease, elderly) that makes running, hiding or fighting unrealistic. Provide note from MD and/or PT on letterhead explaining condition, medical records, etc.

All the below will likely pass in a Light Green county. Most of us can get issued here.

(4) Live and/or work in a dangerous area as seen by crime stats (provide crimemapping maps, news stories, gov't stats)

(5) There's something obvious about applicant that makes them particularly vulnerable to attack and thus an attractive target (e.g., an obvious physical handicap or medical issue that makes fleeing, hiding, or fighting impractical. Provide note from MD and/or PT on letterhead explaining condition, medical records, etc.)

(6) Recreational activities in remote locales with little or no cellphone coverage and/or long LE response times (e.g., amateur wilderness photography, target shooting, hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, motorcycling, backcountry skiing, etc.). (Use trail maps, calendars, log books, receipts from campgrounds and photos as proof.)

(7) Recreational activities that put you at a heightened risk due to the property's value or equipment's inherent danger (e.g., Craig's List seller/buyer, avid shooter who transports several semi auto pistols, rifles and/or shotguns and hundreds of rounds to various ranges or C&R collector). (For proof use photos of activities, value of equipment/property, sales receipts, copy of club membership card, photos of trophies won, training certificates, C&R license.)

All the below will likely pass in a Yellow county Some of us can get issued here.

(8) Lives in a remote area with little or no cellphone coverage and/or long LE response times. (Provide proof of residence location, photos of your acreage, of you farming/ranching, etc) N.B. While this may work with SLO Co SO, it will not with Alameda Co SO; not sure re. Napa and Yolo Co SOs.

(9) Employees required to work in remote locales at all hours with little or no cellphone coverage and/or long LE response times (e.g., wilderness photographer, surveyors, construction workers). Get letter from employer supporting the application and willingness to accept liability, copies of relevant certificates/licenses, provide photos of you doing job, value of equipment. N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

(10) Employees at heightened risk due visiting isolated locations required by their employment (e.g., female RE agents showing houses to strangers at all hours while alone). Get letter from employer supporting the application and willingness to accept liability, copies of relevant certificates/licenses, provide photos of you doing job, etc. N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

(11) Employees (e.g., business managers, property managers) who are at heightened risk due to valuables associated with their employment (e.g., Au/Ag, jewelry, pharmaceuticals, firearms, ammo or gunpowder ("inherently dangerous property"), cash sales or rental deposits). Get letter from employer supporting the application and willingness to accept liability, copies of relevant certificates/licenses, provide photos of you doing job, etc N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

(12) The nature of the business or occupation of the applicant is such that it is subject to personal risk and / or criminal attack, greater than the general population (e.g., private investigators, some lawyers, process servers, plain clothes security guards, bodyguards, fugitive recovery agents/"bounty hunters," taxi drivers). Get letter from employer supporting the application and willingness to accept liability, copies of relevant certificates/licenses, photos of you on the job, etc. N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

All the below will likely pass in a Light Red county. Few of us can get issued here.

(13) Business owners required to work at all hours in remote locales with little or no cellphone coverage and/or long LE response times (e.g., professional farmer or rancher, wilderness photographer, surveyor, contractor). (copies of relevant certificates/licenses, provide photos of you doing job at remote locations, value of equipment, etc) N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

(14) Business owners who are at heightened risk due to valuables associated with their profession or business activities (e.g., Au/Ag dealers, jewelry dealers, MD/pharmacists/pharma sales rep, business owner or landlord making cash sales or rental deposits, maybe NRA Instructor, RSO and FFL dealers due to regularly transporting "inherently dangerous property"). (written description of your business activities, copies of relevant certificates/licenses, provide photos of you doing job, etc) N.B. Your CCW may be restricted to on-the-job only.

The below Good Cause will likely pass in a Dark Red county. This is Virtual No Issue because virtually none of us can get issued here. There are 3 levels in Dark Red (from most restrictive to least): actual No Issue. SF and Santa Clara, for awhile, were once this. Next, Corrupt Issue. LASD under Sheriff Jim McDonnell was like this per the CSA's report: 25 out of 25 audited files did not follow their own CCW policy re. residency and 24 out of 25 did not follow their own policy on GC. (See Calif State Auditor's report re. LA: 1 page Fact Sheet: http://www.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/factsheets/2017-101.pdf Audit Summary: http://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2017-101/summary.html Full, 88 page report: http://www.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2017-101.pdf One year later, LASD under Sheriff AV has still not complied with the CSA's recommendations. See ~2/3rds down at: https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/s...019-041/table3) Sheriff Laurie Smith of Santa Clara County also appears to have practiced corrupt issuance: https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/e...-clara-county/ Last is Virtual No Issue: this is where they issue for category #15 below and only for that.

(15) They are at heightened risk due to a documented "clear & present danger to life, or great bodily harm" against them or an immediate family member (e.g., crazy ex- or disgruntled fired employee, stalker, anonymous nut case/evildoer, etc.). These GC policies are usually based upon CA State AG John Van de Kamp's early 1980s Opinion letter and require a number of additional conditions be present. (Proof includes police reports (if BG unknown), permanent restraining order (if BG known), evidence of current threats (e.g., audio recordings, video/pictures, written threats, etc).) (SF, LA and Alameda have this as their only acceptable GC, but I've heard Alameda & LA do not approve or deny not in conformity to their published policy.

[Fishslayer]

Note well: There's a range within each category.

(4) You have a medical condition (e.g., heart disease, elderly) that makes running, hiding or fighting unrealistic.

Thanks for that.

My own medical condition is pretty much exactly as described. Never really considered it as good cause.

[Paladin]

This is IMPORTANT!!!

Good Cause has two parts: (1) the statement and (2) the evidence/proof.

Good Moral Character also has two parts: (1) the criminal background check and (2) your social/personal/psychological character.

All four parts are vitally important. You must make all four as solid as you can.

As far as social/personal/psychological character, they are looking for an emotionally stable individual who deescalates interpersonal conflicts. They want to make sure you’re really a Good Guy. (My CCW Application Advice thread pinned at the top of this forum covers more of this.) Consider supplying personal references even if they don’t require them. Friends are better than family members. Neighbors are better than friends since they are less biased and see how you live and behave in good times and bad.

[Paladin]

This is an excellent post re GMC.

... They are looking for mature, stable, non-confortational people....

My only other tip: the phone calls come from PRIVATE NUMBER, so if you're in the process and you get a call from a private number, ANSWER IT! It's good news!

Anyone with yellow-level GC should apply now. It might not be successful, but it's definitely worth trying. For people in that situation, make your application great. Have the right demeanor when interacting with them. Honest, direct, respectful, not chatty or informal.

Final tip: They don't ask for references, but give them anyway, and your neighbors should be your best reference. Your best friend from high school or your favorite uncle or your rabbi are weak references.

Final final tip: do some long-term planning. Cultivate a good relationship with your neighbors. Take actions such as being a member of a range and going regularly, taking extra training, being in CERT, taking other kinds of safety training, volunteering (especially with a gov't-affiliated organization), whatever, and provide documents of all this, to develop strong evidence of good character. It's about documentation and depth.

I am not a VIP and have never contributed to anyone and have no connections or important friends. The process is fair.

These are excellent posts by CCWFacts.

No, not if it's for simple self-defense.

Not if it's a weak reason like "I sometimes travel to dangerous areas". Thin reasons like that won't work.

But look at these two hypothetical good cause statements:

• I go hiking to remote areas

Vs:

• I go hiking to remote areas. Here are my trail passes for the past 12 months. I have attended these seminars on wilderness safety; here are the certificates. Here are maps of locations I camped at, and here's the location of the nearest police presence, which as you can see is an hour a way. Here's my membership of [some hiking organization]. Here's my records of trail and park cleanup volunteer activity I did with the park service. Here are my plans for hiking trips I'll be taking next year, showing locations and proximity to law enforcement services. Here are the safety training courses I've signed up for next year. Here are pictures of me at [some camping location] on [some date]. Here are news stories about criminal activity in the areas I have mentioned. Here are the list of prohibited locations (Federal ranger stations etc) in these areas that I know I won't be carrying a gun in while I'm engaged in hiking activities.

Do you see the difference? The good cause IS THE SAME in both cases. But the second example shows DEPTH, planning, organization and responsibility. The first is just, "please give me a permit".

The first good cause statement won't work. The second might work. (Obviously, NEVER re-use any other person's good cause statement, so make it unique and applicable to YOU. My statement there is just for illustration.)

Does this make sense? A lot of people have weak good cause that will not work, but a lot of people could make a much stronger good cause statement with some more thought, documentation and effort.

If all this makes sense to you, then when I say "everyone should apply", it should be taken within the context of what I'm explaining in this post. Please don't argue with me about this; you either understand it or you don't.

I would strongly suggest that if you're going to use your employer as part of your GC, get a letter from the employer specifically stating the following points:

• Mr. Employee has been with us for ___ years and has always demonstrated maturity and responsibility. For example, ____
• Mr. Employee is authorized by the business owner to be armed during his duties at work.
• The company has agreed to cover the cost of Mr. Employee's CCW training and other security training which will benefit the safety of the business
• We have confirmed that our company's insurance policy (see attached coverage sheet) allows staff members to be armed while performing their duties, subject to prior approval. Mr. Employee is approved.
• The following incidents have occurred (near / at / in) the business and an armed employee would have been advisable because ____. See attached incident reports.
• The company has every reason to trust Mr. Employee to be armed at work and we hope that the Los Angeles Sheriff will issue this permit.

That's the kind of employer letter you need.

If you can get that you will get issued.

If you can't get that, or something close to it, use something else as your good cause.

People often wonder why their sheriff insists they apply with their city’s PD and get denied before applying with them. Here’s my best guess on what I’ve heard. This response is due to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department requiring a denial letter from the City of Los Angeles’ Police Department before they’ll process your application.

IIRC since LASD does not routinely patrol the City of LA they won’t know of low level drama that won’t appear on a routine background check of you, only LAPD would. We’re talking about things that don’t end up reported, much less getting charged. LASD wants LAPD to throughly investigate you and judge your GMC. Then when you apply with LASD they will also use LAPD’s background check work product of you in deciding your GMC. (LASD will use their own GC standard to judge your GC.)