(a) If a new license or license renewal pursuant to Section 26150, 26155, or 26170 is denied or revoked based on a determination that the applicant is a disqualified person for such a license, as set forth in Section 26202, the licensing authority shall provide the applicant with the notice of this determination as required under subdivision (d) of Section 26202, Section 26205, or paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 26195. The notice shall state the reason as to why the determination was made and also inform the applicant that they may request a hearing from a court, as provided in this section, to review the denial or revocation. The licensing authority shall provide the applicant with a copy of the most recent “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form prescribed by the Department of Justice under this section.

(b) The department shall develop a “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form for use throughout the state. The form shall include an authorization for the release of the applicant’s criminal history records to the appropriate court solely for use in the hearing conducted pursuant to this section. The “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form is deemed to be a local form expressly exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

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(c) Except as specified in paragraph (2), an applicant shall have 30 days after the receipt of the notice of denial described in subdivision (a) to request a hearing to review the denial or revocation from the superior court of their county of residence. The request for hearing shall be made on the “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form prescribed by the department.

(1) Nothing in this section prevents a licensing authority from requiring an applicant to use and exhaust any process for appealing a denial or revocation that may be offered by the licensing authority prior to 30 days after the receipt of the notice of denial described in subdivision (a) before the applicant may request a hearing as described in this subdivision. Licensing authorities that require applicants to use such a process shall resolve any appeal within 60 days of when the appeal is filed.

(2) If an applicant uses and exhausts any process for appealing a denial or revocation that is offered by the licensing authority as described in paragraph (1), an applicant shall have 30 days after receiving notice of an unsuccessful appeal to request a hearing to review the denial or revocation from the superior court of their county of residence. The request for hearing shall be made on the “Request for Hearing to Challenge Disqualified Person Determination” form prescribed by the department.

(d) (1) An applicant who has requested a hearing under this section shall be given a hearing. The clerk of the court shall set a hearing date and notify the person, the licensing authority, the department, and the district attorney. The people of the State of California shall be the plaintiff in the proceeding and shall be represented by the district attorney. Within 14 days after receiving from the clerk of the court the request for a hearing, the department shall file copies of the applicant’s criminal history report described in this section with the superior court under seal, and the licensing authority shall file any records or reports on which it relied in denying or revoking the license at issue with the superior court. The licensing authority may also, or instead, file a declaration that summarizes the information it relied upon in denying or revoking the license at issue. The reports filed by the department and the licensing authority shall be disclosed to the person and to the district attorney upon request. The court, upon motion of the applicant establishing that confidential information is likely to be discussed during the hearing that would cause harm to the person, shall conduct the hearing in camera, with only the relevant parties present, unless the court finds that the public interest would be better served by conducting the hearing in public.

(2) The court shall set the hearing within 60 days of receipt of the request for a hearing. Upon showing good cause, the district attorney shall be entitled to a continuance not to exceed 30 days after the district attorney was notified of the hearing date by the clerk of the court. If additional continuances are granted, the total length of time for continuances shall not exceed 60 days.

(3) Notwithstanding any other law, declarations, police reports, including criminal history information, and any other material and relevant evidence that is not excluded under § 352 of the Evidence Code shall be admissible at the hearing under this section.

(e) The people shall bear the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant is a disqualified person in accordance with Section 26202.

(f) If the court finds at the hearing that the people have not met their burden, or if the district attorney declines or fails to go forward in the hearing, the court shall order as follows:

(1) If the applicant was denied a new license or license renewal, the court shall order that the person shall not be deemed a disqualified person to receive a new license or license renewal pursuant to Section 26150, 26155, or 26170, and that the licensing authority issue notice to proceed with the training requirements and submit the applicant’s fingerprints or the renewal notification in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 26202. The Department of Justice shall then confirm the applicant’s eligibility to possess, receive, own, or purchase a firearm in a manner prescribed through regulations. A copy of the order shall be submitted to the Department of Justice.

(2) If the applicant’s license was revoked, the court shall order that the person’s license be reinstated with the original expiration date extended by the length of time between the date of the revocation notice provided under paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 26195 and the date of the court’s order so long as the Department of Justice confirms the applicant’s eligibility to possess, receive, own, or purchase a firearm in a manner prescribed through regulation. A copy of the order shall be submitted to the Department of Justice.

(g) If the court finds that the people have met their burden to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant is a disqualified person in accordance with Section 26202, the court shall inform the person of their right to file a subsequent application for a license no sooner than two years from the date of the hearing.

(h) If an applicant has been denied a license or had a license revoked based on any ground outlined in Section 26202 two or more times in a 10-year period, which determination was either not challenged or upheld at a hearing under this section, any subsequent hearings under this section for the applicant shall be conducted as described in this section, with the exception that the burden of proof shall be on the applicant to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant is not a disqualified person in accordance with Section 26202.

(i) If a new license or license renewal pursuant to Section 26150, 26155, or 26170 is denied or revoked based on the applicant’s failure to satisfy paragraph (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 26150, paragraph (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 26155, or paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 26170, the licensing authority shall provide the applicant with the notice required under Section 26205 or paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 26195, as applicable, and inform the applicant that they may apply to the superior court of the county in which they reside for a writ of mandate pursuant to § 1085 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Except as specified in paragraph (2), the application for writ of mandate shall be made within 30 days after the receipt of the notice of denial or the notice of revocation.

(1) Nothing in this section prevents a licensing authority from requiring an applicant to use and exhaust any process for appealing a denial or revocation that may be offered by the licensing authority prior to 30 days after the receipt of the notice of denial described in subdivision (a). Licensing authorities that require applicants to use such a process shall resolve any appeal within 60 days of when the appeal is filed.

(2) If an applicant uses and exhausts any process for appealing a denial or revocation that is offered by the licensing authority as described in paragraph (1), an applicant shall have 30 days after receiving notice of an unsuccessful appeal to file the application for writ of mandate described in this subdivision.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 249, Sec. 23. (SB 2) Effective January 1, 2024.)