San Diego Criminal Attorneys Blog
In California, it is illegal to carry a concealed firearm on your person or in a vehicle. The law criminalizing the carrying of a concealed weapon is California Penal Code 24500 PC. Depending on the circumstances, such as an individual’s criminal history and whether the firearm was loaded in addition to being concealed, the punishments stemming from a conviction may be serious. Substantial fines and jail time are very real possibilities. As such, it is imperative that individuals charged with the crime of carrying a concealed weapon in the state of California consult with a skilled and experienced California criminal defense attorney.
Understanding Firearms and Concealment
Most everyone knows that the word “firearm” is synonymous with the word “gun.” California’s concealed firearms statute covers all terms for firearms and all types of firearms that are capable of being concealed on one’s person or in a vehicle. Specifically, California Penal Code 16520(a) defines “firearm” as a “device designed to be used as a weapon from which is expelled through a barrel a projectile by the force of an explosion of other form of combustion.” Among the two most common types of firearms are the pistol and the revolver.