Federal Judge Blocks California’s Concealed Carry Restrictions Banning Firearms in Most Public Places

The controversial law was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September and was set to take effect on Jan. 1.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference in Sacramento on Feb. 1, 2023, announcing a new law to establish stricter standards for concealed carry weapon permit holders to carry a firearm in public. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A controversial California law that would ban licensed gun holders from carrying their firearms in multiple locations across the state was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Dec. 20, meaning the legislation will not go into full effect as planned next year.

Senate Bill 2 was part of a string of new gun restrictions introduced in California this year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen in June of 2022 that found a New York law requiring a license to carry a concealed weapon in public was unconstitutional and that carrying a pistol in public was a constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment.