California CCW Permitting Process Could Soon Get More Expensive

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – There's a new political effort taking aim at California's concealed weapon permit process.

It could lead to an increase in the price you'd pay to apply for permit.

Craig Deluz has a carry concealed weapon permit issued by Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.

Deluz, also a statewide gun rights lobbyist, has had it for six years.

"A conceal carry permit is the only way a Californian can exercise his constitutional right," Deluz said.

In Sacramento, the number of people with these permits has soared from 800 in 2010 to more than 7,900 in 2016 – an increase of 890 percent.

Sacramento County now ranks in the top three counties for carry conceal permits in California.

The increase is all on Sheriff Jones' watch.

He defended his decision to issue the permits to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors asking about the costs.

"As the elected sheriff I'm charged with the safety of one and a half-million people in this county," Jones said at a meeting in June. "I can tell you that that CCW program, as long as I am sheriff, will continue in the manner which I have prioritized it thus far."

The county costs of the permit process have gone up each year under jones, reaching nearly $250,000 a year now.

"I question why the sheriff feels he needs to issue not hundreds but thousands of these permits," said Supervisor Phil Serna.

Serna says it's costing taxpayers too much.

"Why is it good public policy to have the average county taxpayer subsidize the cost to administer those permits?" Serna said.

Serna supports new proposed state legislation that could raise fees on CCW permit applications in order to cover county costs.

It would force people who want permits to pay more.