(a) The duly constituted licensing authority of a city, county, or a city and county shall accept applications for, and may grant licenses permitting, licensees to sell firearms at retail within the city, county, or city and county. The duly constituted licensing authority shall inform applicants who are denied licenses of the reasons for the denial in writing.

(b) No license shall be granted to any applicant who fails to provide a copy of each of the following documents:

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(1) A valid federal firearms license.

(2) A valid seller’s permit issued by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration pursuant to § 6067 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and, commencing July 1, 2024, a valid certificate of registration issued pursuant to § 36036 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(3) A certificate of eligibility issued by the Department of Justice pursuant to Section 26710.

(c) A license granted by the duly constituted licensing authority of any city, county, or city and county, shall be valid for not more than one year from the date of issuance and shall be in one of the following forms:

(1) In the form prescribed by the Attorney General.

(2) A regulatory or business license that states on its face “Valid for Retail Sales of Firearms” and is endorsed by the signature of the issuing authority.

(3) A letter from the duly constituted licensing authority having primary jurisdiction for the applicant’s intended business location stating that the jurisdiction does not require any form of regulatory or business license or does not otherwise restrict or regulate the sale of firearms.

(d) Local licensing authorities may assess fees to recover their full costs of processing applications for licenses.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 231, Sec. 4. (AB 28) Effective January 1, 2024.)