Santa Barbara Police Department

Contact Information for various sections and phone numbers. 

Visit Contact Us for more information

CCW APPLICATION INFORMATION

The Chief of Police is given the statutory discretion to issue a license to carry a firearm to residents within the City of Santa Barbara (Penal Code § 26150; Penal Code § 26155).

Please read this information entirely prior to applying for a CCW. 

Qualifications:

In order to qualify for a license to carry a firearm, the applicant must meet certain requirements, including:

1. Be a resident of the City of Santa Barbara (Penal Code § 26150; Penal Code § 26155).
2. Be at least 21 years of age (Penal Code § 29610).
3. Fully complete an application that will include substantial personal information. Much of the information in the application may be subject to public access under the Public Records Act.
4. Be free from criminal convictions that would disqualify the applicant from carrying a firearm. Fingerprints will be required, and a complete criminal background check will be conducted.
5. Be of good moral character (Penal Code § 26150; Penal Code § 26155).
6. Pay all associated application fees. These fees are set by statute and may not be refunded if the application is denied.
7. Provide proof of ownership or registration of any firearm to be licensed.
8. Be free from any psychological conditions that might make the applicant unsuitable for carrying a firearm (Penal Code § 26190).
9. Complete required training (Penal Code § 26165).

By law the Santa Barbara Police Department can only accept applications from permanent residents of the City of Santa Barbara.

Current Fees for Standard 2-year Permit:

• Initial Fee: $43 (non-refundable)
• Issuance Fee: $172 (Only if permit is approved)

Additional Fees:

• Psychological Exam – $150 (paid at the doctor’s office at the time of appointment)
• Firearms Training Fee – Check with approved training instructor
• Modification/Replacement Fee – $10

Renewal Fees:

• Renewal Standard Fee – $77 (includes $52 DOJ fee and $25 SBPD fee)
• Renewal Judicial Fee - $99 (includes $74 DOJ fee and $25 SBPD fee)
• Renewal Custodial/Reserve Officer Fee- $121 (includes $96 DOJ fee and $25 SBPD fee)

Process (in this order):

• APPLICATION & INTIAL FEE
• LIVE SCAN
• PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION
• PROVIDE 3 CHARACTER REFERENCE LETTERS (Must be over 21 years old, and include signature and contact phone number of your references)
• BACKGROUND INTERVIEW/INVESTIGATION
• PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
• FIREARMS TRAINING/FIREARMS INSPECTION/ STORAGE
• LICENSE & FINAL ISSUANCE FEE

WEAPONS/RANGE QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

1. The City of Santa Barbara allows a CCW license holder to list three (3) weapons on an issued license.

2. Each CCW license holder is mandated by California State Law to attend a firearms safety class. Individuals are also required to qualify with their weapon(s) under the direction of a qualified range master to ensure that each license holder is competent in the safe handling of firearms. All weapons listed on a CCW license must be registered in the name of the license holder.

3. Your training and qualification certification must be dated and submitted to the Santa Barbara Police Department once completed.  It is not recommended to obtain the required CCW firearms training prior to the Santa Barbara Police Department approving you to procced with training.  If you choose to complete the training prior to the police department approval to proceed, the Santa Barbara Police Department is not responsible for any costs you have incurred.

4. Proof of training and qualification will need to be submitted to our coordinator.

5. Santa Barbara Police Department recognizes only the following training instructors to satisfy your training and qualification requirements.

Training from any other instructor will not be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Approved CCW Instructors:

Larry Guevara - TacTeam 

P.O. Box 51905 Oxnard, CA 93030

805-216-5427 - eightysixtangos@yahoo.com

Rob Holcombe - Paratus Training - www.paratustraining.com

Winchester Gun Club, 6620 West Camino Cielo, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

805-259-8542 - rob@paratustraining.com

Aaron Miller - Central Coast Tactical, LLC - www.CentralCoastTactical.com

650-380-4267 - centralcoasttactical@gmail.com

Bill Tanner

Santa Barbara, CA 93110

805-683-3440

Dan Wells - The Gun School - www.thegunschool.com

3150 Telephone Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93454

559-936-9909 - dan@thegunschool.com

APPLY FOR A CCW

If you want to apply for CCW, please follow this link:

Click Here to Apply

To provide organized solutions for the preservation and accessibility of police records while providing excellent customer service to our community and staff in adherence with federal, state, and municipal law.

Visit Records Bureau for more information or you can Obtain a Police Report here. 

Visit Chief of Police & Community Accountability Staff for more information

Internal Operations - This section includes both officers and professional staff and is led by a police commander. There are several sergeants assigned to this section as well that oversee hiring, recruitment, wellness, and training. 

The Internal Operations Section also assists with: 

• ABC Licensing
• Alarm Permits
• Deemed Approved - Alcohol Beverage Regulations
• Special Event Officer Requests

For more details, visit Internal Operations the page.

Investigations & Detectives - While officers of the Field Operations Division most often are the first officers on the scene of any police event, Detectives handle the following-up investigations to those cases. It is the Detective's responsibility to follow leads and evidence to arrest outstanding suspects.   

For more details, visit the Investigative Division page.

Property & Evidence - The Property Room is open Monday through Thursday (closed holidays) from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  We may be contacted at 805-897-2375. 

Visit Property & Evidence for more information.

The Field Operation Division is the largest division within the Police Department. Its primary responsibility is to provide uniformed law enforcement service to the community.

Visit Field Operations for more information

Find out more about our Community Academy and our special programs, such as the cadet program, becoming a chaplain, Police Activities League (PAL), ride-alongs, and Volunteers in Policing.  

Visit Programs for more information.