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Long Beach council sets Concealed Carry Weapon license fees - Signal Tribune

Residents hoping to obtain a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license in Long Beach will have to pay some of the highest fees in LA County. Long Beach, California, has approved the new fees for Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license applicants in order to obtain a license in the city of Long Beach, which allows residents to carry firearms capable of being concealed on the person. The city will receive $495.74 from each license issued, with the additional $215.34 fee required for a psychological evaluation needed to obtain the license. The fees are expected to be in place by mid-April 2023 and will not be refunded for the fees incurred. The motion passed with the only vote against the only being against being against the vote.

Long Beach council sets Concealed Carry Weapon license fees - Signal Tribune

Published : 12 months ago by Samantha Diaz, Managing Editor in

Residents hoping to obtain a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license in Long Beach will have to pay some of the highest fees in LA County, after the city council approved the new fees Tuesday night.

A CCW license allows residents to carry a “pistol, revolver or other firearms capable of being concealed on the person,” according to staff reports. Fees will be the same for standard (two-year) and judicial (three-year) licenses, while reserve officer licenses (four-year) will be waived by the city since they are obtained for volunteer positions.

Though the city gets a portion of the $1,108.84 total fee, it must cover $395.24 of each application which includes third-party vendor costs.

Long Beach Chief of Police Wally Hebeish presented the proposed fees to the council, which includes a $150 psychological evaluation needed to obtain a CCW license. Councilmember Mary Zendejas suggested a $215.34 increase to the final fee which allows someone to obtain a license, saying “if someone wants a gun they should be able to pay for it at a higher cost.”

Most of the council supported the increase since it allows Long Beach to obtain the highest possible amount of money from licenses. With the approved increase, the city will get $495.74 from each license issued.

The set fees are expected to be in place by mid-April 2023. Applicants who do not pass the psychological evaluation the first time will not be issued a CCW and will not be refunded for the fees incurred.

Councilmember Al Austin said he was concerned about how the increased fees may affect those who need to obtain a CCW license for their job, such as private security officers.

“When we talk about adding costs, particularly for vocational reasons, that may be a slippery slope. I don’t want to put anyone in a position where they can’t do the work they are required to do,” Austin said.”We’re not talking about tens of thousands of residents who are going to be impacted here, it’s going to be a handful of people.”

Vice Mayor Cindy Allen responded by saying that usually employers will cover the cost of obtaining a CCW license for their employees.

Councilmember Daryl Supernaw argued that the initial fee of $350 was already “exorbitant” and said he could understand why “the average person” would consider the increased fees “out of line.” He requested the Master Fee and Charges Schedule to label the increase as “cost recovery,” since it will be going back into the city’s pockets.

CCW licenses were issued by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department until August 2022, when the county discontinued the program for the 44 agencies it was serving. Since issuing CCW licenses is now a municipal duty. Since November 2022, Long Beach has been searching for a third-party to help process licenses and conduct analyses on the amount of staff work to complete the tasks.

In order to receive a CCW license, the applicant must be a Long Beach resident, at least 21 years old, be free of criminal convictions, pass the psychological eval, provide proof of ownership and register the firearm with the Department of Justice, complete firearm training, pay fees and be of “good moral character.”

The chief of police may request an additional interview following the psychological evaluation, though Hebeish did not clarify what would make another interview necessary.

Councilwoman Megan Kerr asked if residents with a CCW license are required to store their weapons safely in their homes. Hebeish replied that under state mandates, anyone in possession of a firearm must store them safely.

“We’re not going to go into somebody’s home to ensure that, but if something happens that’s something we would investigate,” Hebeish said. Once someone is convicted of a criminal charge, such as unsafe possession of a firearm, their CCW license would be rescinded, he said.

The motion also includes a suggestion to advocate with the state of California to allow cities to raise CCW renewal fees, which is currently capped at $25. The motion passed 7-1, with Supernaw being the only vote against.


Topics: California, Long Beach

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