📖 How to Use This Guide
Read through each section. Take notes on the key laws. Then test yourself with the practice questions at the end of each topic. If you complete SOTC's CCW training course, you'll already know most of this material from class.
Section 1 — California Firearms Laws You Must Know
The CCW written test is heavy on California law. These are the key laws every applicant must understand:
Handgun Safety Act (HSC)
California requires all new handgun purchasers to pass the Handgun Safety Certificate test. The HSC covers safe handling, storage, and operation of handguns. If you own a handgun in California, you must know these rules.
- Always treat every firearm as if it is loaded
- Never point a firearm at anything you're not willing to destroy
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot
- Know your target and what is beyond it
California Penal Code — Key Sections
- 📜PC 25100: Criminal storage of a firearm — how to store firearms safely when children are present
- 📜PC 25400: Carrying a concealed firearm without a permit — illegal and a felony in many cases
- 📜PC 26150: CCW permits may be issued by the sheriff of a county or the police chief of a city
- 📜PC 26160: CCW permit restrictions — the issuing authority can place conditions on your permit
- 📜PC 25505: Safe storage requirements for firearms in the home
Section 2 — Legal Use of Force
This is one of the most tested topics on the CCW written exam. You need to understand when deadly force is and isn't justified in California.
Self-Defense in California
California follows the "reasonable person" standard for self-defense. You may use deadly force only when you reasonably believe you or someone else faces an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury. You cannot use deadly force to protect property alone.
Key Principles to Know:
- Threat must be immediate — not future or past
- You must reasonably believe the threat is real
- Force must be proportional to the threat
- California has no "stand your ground" law — duty to retreat may apply in some situations
- Using a firearm in self-defense creates significant legal and civil liability even if justified
⚠️ Know This Before the Test
The test will present scenarios and ask whether deadly force is justified. Always apply the "reasonable person" standard. Ask yourself: would a reasonable, law-abiding person in the same situation believe their life was in immediate danger?
Section 3 — Safe Storage Requirements
California has strict laws about how firearms must be stored, especially in homes with children.
- 🔒Lock it up: Store firearms in a locked container, gun safe, or with a trigger lock when not in use
- 👶Kids present: If anyone under 18 lives in or regularly has access to your home, you must store firearms where they cannot access them
- 📦Approved devices: Gun safes, lock boxes, trigger locks, and cable locks are all acceptable storage methods
- 🚗In your vehicle: Firearms must be unloaded and in a locked container in the trunk or a locked container not easily accessible from the passenger area
Section 4 — Practice Questions
Test yourself on these common exam topics. Answers are at the bottom of each question set.
Practice Set 1 — California Law
1. Under California law, when may you legally use deadly force?
A) To protect your car from theft
B) When you reasonably believe you face immediate threat of death or great bodily injury
C) Whenever someone enters your property
D) Only when a police officer authorizes it
Answer: B
2. In California, who issues CCW permits?
A) The California Department of Justice
B) The state governor's office
C) The county sheriff or city police chief
D) The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
Answer: C
3. When transporting a handgun in your car without a CCW permit, you must:
A) Keep it loaded in the glove box
B) Keep it unloaded and in a locked container in the trunk or inaccessible locked container
C) Keep it on the seat next to you
D) Notify police any time you drive
Answer: B
Practice Set 2 — Safe Handling
4. You pick up a firearm that someone hands to you. What should you do first?
A) Aim it downrange
B) Check that it is unloaded and verify the chamber is empty
C) Put your finger on the trigger
D) Hand it back immediately
Answer: B
5. When storing a firearm in a home with a 14-year-old child, you must:
A) Tell the child never to touch it
B) Store it in a drawer with a lock
C) Store it in a locked container, gun safe, or with a trigger lock where the child cannot access it
D) Store it under your bed
Answer: C
Section 5 — Test Day Tips
- ✓Take SOTC's CCW course first. The classroom training covers everything on the test. Students who complete our course pass at a very high rate.
- ✓Read every question carefully. Many questions use qualifiers like "always," "never," or "only." These words matter.
- ✓Think "reasonable person." When in doubt, ask what a responsible, law-abiding person would do in that situation.
- ✓Don't overthink it. The test is designed to confirm you know the basics — not to trick you with obscure laws.
- ✓Review California's legal use of force. This is the most-tested topic. Know when deadly force is and isn't justified.
Ready to Get Your CCW?
Study this guide. Then enroll in SOTC's CCW training course. Our instructors walk you through every topic in detail, run practice scenarios, and make sure you're confident going into the test.