California Penal Code section 25400 prohibits concealed carry in vehicles without a permit, and transport must follow strict unloaded and locked-container rules that San Jose enforces alongside state agencies.
Without a CCW, firearms transported in a vehicle in San Jose must follow California Penal Code section 25610: handguns must be unloaded and locked in the trunk or a separate locked container (the glove compartment does not qualify). Long guns must be unloaded but need not be locked in a container, though they cannot be readily accessible loaded. Ammunition may be stored separately. Concealed carry inside the passenger compartment without a permit violates section 25400, a misdemeanor or wobbler. Section 25850 separately bans loaded firearms in vehicles in public places. SJPD enforces these rules during traffic stops alongside state DOJ standards.
Carrying concealed in a vehicle without a permit is charged under Penal Code 25400 as a misdemeanor; loaded firearm in vehicle violations under 25850 can be charged as misdemeanor or felony with firearm seizure.
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See how San Jose's firearms in vehicles rules stack up against other locations.
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