CCW Santa Clara County CCW Thread

[ImpulseGundam]

I definitely should have emailed earlier regarding my renewal status (current permit expires in 2 weeks) but SCCSO said I didn't upload the proper documents, so I'm definitely getting delayed. Make sure y'all email them after submission to affirm they're properly received and you get approval ASAP.

 

[scootle]

Yeah, I was busy over the holiday so I didn't get a chance to schedule the renewal pick up, but as of today 4 Jan, the "first available" appointment to pick up a renewal is 11 Feb. I kid you not. SMDH.

Oh well, I will probably be fine without a (valid) CA CCW for a couple weeks.... right?

I didn't get a chance to post this sooner, but last week, SCCSO opened up additional appointments. They must know they are backlogged on renewals since we are right in the time window for the initial wave of applicants that would have been approved during the late days of 2023 and early days of 2024.

 

[scootle]

OK, so I picked up my renewal permit today -- as usual, they have a retired Captain doing the paperwork and taking photo/thumbprint, etc. She was very nice and I thanked her for helping take care of what is clearly a severe lack of resources in their CCW unit.

This is what I found very interesting with the "new" permits:



Was this on the back of our "old" permits circa 2024? I do not recall this stipulation previously and stupid me, I never actually scanned or took a photo of the back of my card previously (they confiscate your old permit for destruction and issue the new one).

Anyone able to confirm if this is indeed a brand new restriction on our SCCSO-issued CCW permits?

 

[ImpulseGundam]

OK, so I picked up my renewal permit today -- as usual, they have a retired Captain doing the paperwork and taking photo/thumbprint, etc. She was very nice and I thanked her for helping take care of what is clearly a severe lack of resources in their CCW unit.

This is what I found very interesting with the "new" permits:

View attachment 142229

Was this on the back of our "old" permits circa 2024? I do not recall this stipulation previously and stupid me, I never actually scanned or took a photo of the back of my card previously (they confiscate your old permit for destruction and issue the new one).

Anyone able to confirm if this is indeed a brand new restriction on our SCCSO-issued CCW permits?

Not sure but nothing noted on my soon to be expired one.

 

[scootle]

Not sure but nothing noted on my soon to be expired one.

Yeah if you have a CCW from 2024 or so, then we didn't have this restriction on our CCW -- it's not on the old printed paper they gave us back then either (they no longer issue the paper "permit" document in 2026).

I will need to dig into the legalese now and find out if this was something they quietly slipped into their conditions for CCW in SCC without saying anything overt to anyone. What a shocker.

 

[otatop]

Yeah it's in their policy document they updated on 1/21/25 in the "license restrictions" section.

 

[ImpulseGundam]

Got a phone call yesterday regarding my status. Had to correct some documents and a discrepancy. Gonna have to update a firearm on CFARS. I knew it was gonna be a problem. Basically, I PPT'd a P365 long ago as a "Wilson Combat" but trainer recorded and approved it as "Sig". Said they couldn't approve it because of the discrepancy. Caller said I could update it on CFARS and I could modify permit later. Uploaded the document (signed certificate) and renewal was approved this morning for my remaining 2 firearms. First available was 2/11, so I took it.

 

[Skilly]

OK, so I picked up my renewal permit today -- as usual, they have a retired Captain doing the paperwork and taking photo/thumbprint, etc. She was very nice and I thanked her for helping take care of what is clearly a severe lack of resources in their CCW unit.

This is what I found very interesting with the "new" permits:

View attachment 142229

Was this on the back of our "old" permits circa 2024? I do not recall this stipulation previously and stupid me, I never actually scanned or took a photo of the back of my card previously (they confiscate your old permit for destruction and issue the new one).

Anyone able to confirm if this is indeed a brand new restriction on our SCCSO-issued CCW permits?

This is worded in an interesting way. Note "previously approved". This indicates that if you were previously certified on a gun, that you renew with that already had any of these things, it would be OK. This indicates post mod, would void the license.

Im sure that they are throwing the net wider than that, but the language isn't written correctly to confirm that.

 

[Skilly]

took a quick look at a few Bay Area Counties...Santa Clara is pretty restrictive compared to others, except for CoCo.

 

[otatop]

This is the first I've heard about Santa Clara not allowing red dots... that's going to make things interesting for me.

 

[ImpulseGundam]

took a quick look at a few Bay Area Counties...Santa Clara is pretty restrictive compared to others, except for CoCo.

View attachment 144741

That's definitely incorrect. My approved handguns have optics, lights, etc. Again, it's up to the trainer to approve your firearms.

 

[scootle]

took a quick look at a few Bay Area Counties...Santa Clara is pretty restrictive compared to others, except for CoCo.

View attachment 144741

I think you need to link your specific source(s) for what you think is "prohibited" in SCC. Dots, lasers, lights, barrels, finishes aren't prohibited unless all our local trainers are turning a blind eye to these regulations when approving firearms. I don't think our county was this restrictive when we got our permits back in 2024, but if they have since enacted a pile of policy changes with zero public input or oversight, that is a problem, imho.

CoCoCo has always been the shining local example of over-regulating CCW firearms.

Thanks for putting this together though, once it's vetted!

 

[dilbert40]

took a quick look at a few Bay Area Counties...Santa Clara is pretty restrictive compared to others, except for CoCo.

View attachment 144741

Please provide source for this.
For one Santa Clara column is WRONG.
I have red dot, and slide swap on my ccw qual firearm (recent renewal).
And 'custom finishes' being prohibited????? pleeeeeeease!

 

[Santaclaraincognito]

Please provide source for this.
For one Santa Clara column is WRONG.
I have red dot, and slide swap on my ccw qual firearm (recent renewal).
And 'custom finishes' being prohibited????? pleeeeeeease!

I spoke with SCSO about the language on the card and restrictions as this was newer for them. This IA does not care about red dots or grip changes. They DO care about any changes to safety features.

 

[Skilly]

Please provide source for this.
For one Santa Clara column is WRONG.
I have red dot, and slide swap on my ccw qual firearm (recent renewal).
And 'custom finishes' being prohibited????? pleeeeeeease!

I'll own it. That was a little lazy on my part. I asked Claude to create this list. The hallucinations can be kinda comical.

When I beat up Claude and make it accountable to its source it gave me this as a rebuttal. I should know better than to give AI a long leash:

You're right to ask for clarification. Looking back at my source, I need to be more precise.

The source I cited was the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office License Restrictions page (index 99-1 from my search results):

URL: https://sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov/services/other-services/ccw/license-restrictions

The exact language states:

"(d) The alteration of any previously approved firearm including, but not limited to adjusting the trigger pull, or modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades shall void any license and serve as grounds for revocation." Office of the Sheriff

However, I need to clarify: The source does NOT explicitly state that "custom finishes are not permitted." It says modifications "beyond sight and grip upgrades" are prohibited. I inferred that custom finishes (Cerakote etc.) would fall under "modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades," but the policy document doesn't explicitly call out finishes by name.

To be more accurate, Santa Clara County's policy prohibits:

• Any modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades
• This would logically include finishes, but the document doesn't explicitly enumerate them

 

[dilbert40]

I'll own it. That was a little lazy on my part. I asked Claude to create this list. The hallucinations can be kinda comical.

When I beat up Claude and make it accountable to its source it gave me this as a rebuttal. I should know better than to give AI a long leash:

You're right to ask for clarification. Looking back at my source, I need to be more precise.

The source I cited was the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office License Restrictions page (index 99-1 from my search results):

URL: https://sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov/services/other-services/ccw/license-restrictions

The exact language states:

"(d) The alteration of any previously approved firearm including, but not limited to adjusting the trigger pull, or modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades shall void any license and serve as grounds for revocation." Office of the Sheriff

However, I need to clarify: The source does NOT explicitly state that "custom finishes are not permitted." It says modifications "beyond sight and grip upgrades" are prohibited. I inferred that custom finishes (Cerakote etc.) would fall under "modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades," but the policy document doesn't explicitly call out finishes by name.

To be more accurate, Santa Clara County's policy prohibits:

• Any modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades
• This would logically include finishes, but the document doesn't explicitly enumerate them

"previously approved" meaning no further modification from the firearm used for the qual.
The original post indicates red dot is not allowed. Which is plain wrong.

 

[Skilly]

"previously approved" meaning no further modification from the firearm used for the qual.
The original post indicates red dot is not allowed. Which is plain wrong.

I guess if you add anything (including a red dot) post qual. its not allowed, or would at least require a redo of the course. Puts all of this on the Range Master reviewing your gun for the qualification. Everything I carry is highly custom, but walked in the testing with it like that. For Alameda at least, they didn't have to take account for it. Id say as soon as there are restrictions, it begins to make it subjective to some extent.

Unless the person doing intake on the guns is an expert there are a lot of subtle modifications that can be done that would be near impossible to determine are not factory. Guns like the Echelon and P365/P320 with their FCU form factor are built with that in mind.

 

[dilbert40]

I guess if you add anything (including a red dot) post qual. its not allowed, or would at least require a redo of the course. Puts all of this on the Range Master reviewing your gun for the qualification. Everything I carry is highly custom, but walked in the testing with it like that. For Alameda at least, they didn't have to take account for it. Id say as soon as there are restrictions, it begins to make it subjective to some extent.

Unless the person doing intake on the guns is an expert there are a lot of subtle modifications that can be done that would be near impossible to determine are not factory. Guns like the Echelon and P365/P320 with their FCU form factor are built with that in mind.

Please stop guessing.

The post had Santa Clara County specific info.
Red dot is sight.

 

[scootle]

OK here is what is in the official CCW policy as of the Jan 2025 version:

https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1376/2025-02/207-license-to-carry-a-firearm.pdf?VersionId=Y2TKgtfkJLPoFZ1yfPuXvRUuDof0HT3b

207.6.1 LICENSE RESTRICTIONS (Penal Code § 26200)
(d) The alteration of any previously approved firearm including, but not limited to
adjusting the trigger pull, or modifications beyond sight and grip upgrades shall
void any license and serve as grounds for revocation.

Note this does NOT match the text on the back of the CCW permit.

None of this seems enforceable under their current process in SCC. They can barely get enough call-back staff from retirement to process paperwork, let alone attempt to enforce any of what some paper-pusher decided to write into policy as backdoor gun control. When you do the range day and "inspection" of your firearms for the CCW qual, there is no overt attempt to document any aspect of your firearm(s) other than make/model/serial/etc. and that it is functional and serviceable condition. I'm sure lawyers will have varying opinions on this of course.

YMMV.

 

[Skilly]

Please stop guessing.

The post had Santa Clara County specific info.
Red dot is sight.

Dude, get over yourself.