Despite having some of the worst gun laws in the nation, California hasn't managed to kill off a culture of lawful gun ownership. Even in anti-gun bastions like Los Angeles and San Francisco residents can now obtain a concealed carry permit, though it may still take them a year or more and thousands of dollars before they can exercise a fundamental right.
Outside of the coastal counties, however, gun ownership isn't nearly as taboo. In fact, in some parts of the state it's actually encouraged. Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni is hoping to boost the number of concealed carry permits issued by his department, and he's urging local residents to start bearing arms in defense of themselves and others. The sheriff recently hosted a well-attended forum where locals could ask questions about the concealed carry process, and afterwards spoke to local press about his push to grow the number of armed citizens in Fresno County.
“Hopefully they’ll appreciate the value in having a CCW in order to protect themselves and their family and their loved ones,” Zanoni said.
In 2023, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office had over 14,000 active permits. This year so far, there are over 12,000, a 16% decrease.
Zanoni said the goal is to have 20,000 active CCWs in Fresno County.
“Your good cause is to protect yourself and your family. And then that’s really what we’re looking at when we’re issuing these permits,” Zanoni said.
He said any law-abiding citizen can obtain a permit with requirements including owning a concealed handgun, passing a background check and taking a certification class.
“If it’s a new permit that they’re getting, it’s a 16-hour training. If it’s a renewal, it’s 8 hours and really helped to streamline the process and just get them through the process quicker and more efficiently,” Zanoni said.
Zanoni and other county officials can't do anything about the 16-hours of mandated training and the live fire test that folks must pass before they can submit an application, but Fresno County has managed to avoid charging residents (and now non-residents) an arm and a leg to process their paperwork.
According to the California Rifle & Pistol Association, in some jurisdictions like Santa Clara County, the cost to carry can exceed $2,000. The county charges a application fee $976, with half due at the time the application is submitted and the other $488 dollars paid once the application has been approved. But applicants also have to pay for their training, as well as a psychological evaluation mandated by Santa Clara County lawmakers.
In Fresno County, however, Zanoni's office "only" charges $208 for new permits and $77 for renewals (in Santa Clara County, renewal of your two-year license will run you more than $450), with no psychological exam required for applicants. I can't honestly say that $208 for a two-year license is affordable or reasonable, but it's far better than what many other California communities are charging.
If Zanoni wants to essentially double the number of armed citizens in Fresno County, he and other officials need to do what they can to make the process as affordable as possible. I'd love to see, for instance, Fresno County lawmakers take a page from the borough council in Englishtown, New Jersey and offer residents a rebate on a portion of their application fees.
Another possibility would be for the sheriff's department or the county to regularly host the 16-hour training courses required for all applicants, or at least the classroom portion of that training. Even if the sheriff charged a nominal fee and required attendees to pay for the ammunition expended during the live-fire portion of the class, it could be more affordable than going through a private instructor. It would also be a tangible symbol of the county's support for the Second Amendment, which is pretty important if Zanoni wants to encourage residents to exercise their right to bear arms.
Zanoni should also consider speaking out against the abusive systems set up in other jurisdictions. While that might not have a direct impact on the number of Fresno County applicants, there's certainly no harm in giving them an education on the draconian and oppressive regimes that can be found in counties like Los Angeles and Santa Clara and cities like San Jose (which charges $1,300 to approve an application). Maybe he'll even inspire some gun owners to become Second Amendment activists. Lord knows the state can use as many of those as it can get.
