Starting in 2027, California deer bowhunters will no longer face a decades-old Fish and Game Code provision prohibiting them from carrying a firearm during archery season.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1912, removing a longstanding state law that prohibited hunters from carrying a firearm while hunting deer during the archery-only season.
Newsom signed AB 1912 on August 27. The bill was authored by Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas) and passed through the Legislature without a single opposing vote, including a 68-0 vote in the Assembly and a 39-0 vote in the Senate.
The change is particularly notable in California, where legislation expanding firearm rights is relatively uncommon.
What AB 1912 Changes
California Fish and Game Code Section 4370 has long prohibited a person taking or attempting to take deer during archery season from carrying or having a firearm under their immediate control. Active and honorably retired peace officers had an exception allowing them to carry a concealable firearm, although they could not use it to take deer.
AB 1912 removes that firearm prohibition from Section 4370.
The law dated back to 1947 and had become an unusual exception in California hunting regulations. Legislative analysis of AB 1912 noted that similar restrictions had been eliminated for other species and that a former California Department of Fish and Wildlife law-enforcement chief indicated that only one citation was known to have been issued under the provision in roughly 80 years.
Hadwick argued that the change was primarily about allowing hunters to protect themselves in remote areas.
“For those of us who spend time in California’s backcountry, we know this is about more than hunting,” Hadwick said after the bill was signed, pointing to potential encounters with predators, illegal marijuana grows and other dangers in remote areas.
This Does Not Mean a Firearm Can Be Used to Hunt Deer During Archery Season
Hunters should understand an important distinction: AB 1912 removes the special Fish and Game Code prohibition against possessing a firearm while archery deer hunting. It does not turn the archery season into a firearms season.
Deer taken during an archery-only season must still be taken with lawful archery equipment. Carrying or possessing a firearm does not authorize a hunter to shoot a deer with it.
The new law also does not give hunters a blanket exemption from California’s other firearm laws. Hunters still need to comply with applicable state and local laws governing possession, transportation, concealed carry, prohibited locations and other firearm restrictions. A CCW holder, for example, remains subject to the laws and conditions governing that permit.
Does This Apply to the 2026 Deer Season?
No. Although Governor Newsom has signed AB 1912, the bill is not an urgency measure and therefore does not take effect immediately.
Under the California Constitution, regular-session laws of this type generally take effect on January 1 following enactment. That means AB 1912 is expected to become effective January 1, 2027.
California hunters heading into the field during the 2026 archery deer seasons should continue following the existing rules. The change will apply beginning with the 2027 hunting year.
A Rare Bipartisan Hunting and Firearm Bill
AB 1912 also had an unusually smooth trip through Sacramento. It passed the Assembly 68-0 in April and the Senate 39-0 on August 10. The bill’s coauthors included lawmakers from both parties, and committee analyses listed no formal opposition during earlier consideration.
Hadwick described AB 1912 as the second pro-Second Amendment bill she has had signed into law during her term and characterized the measure as a common-sense correction to an outdated restriction.
For California hunters, however, the practical result is straightforward: beginning in 2027, deer archery hunters will no longer be singled out by Fish and Game Code Section 4370 for a special prohibition on carrying a firearm simply because they are participating in the archery deer season.
Hunterizer Will Keep California Hunters Updated
California hunting laws can change from one season to the next, and the effective date matters. Hunterizer helps hunters see what species are open to hunt at their location, along with season dates, hunting zones, legal methods of take, bag limits and other important regulations.
Hunterizer will incorporate the AB 1912 change into California regulations when it becomes applicable for the 2027 hunting season, while continuing to show hunters the rules that actually apply during the current season.
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