A new law will allow certain big-game tags to be transferred to young family members, while another recent change expands concealed-carry options during archery deer season. A broader package of new California gun laws will have a more limited effect on licensed hunters.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed several bills affecting firearms and hunting in recent weeks, including two measures with direct implications for hunters.
The newest is AB 2207, signed September 27, which creates a program allowing certain California big-game hunting tags to be transferred to young family members. It follows AB 1912, signed in August, which changes the rules for concealed firearms during archery deer season.
Meanwhile, Newsom signed a package of 10 additional firearm bills on September 26. Most deal with issues such as prohibited firearm possession, protective orders, firearm storage, 3D-printed guns and firearm-safety requirements rather than hunting regulations themselves.
New Youth Big-Game Tag Transfer Program
AB 2207, authored by Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, requires the California Fish and Game Commission to establish a program allowing eligible big-game tags to be transferred from a parent, legal guardian or grandparent to a child or grandchild who is 17 or younger.
The program applies to tags for major California big-game species, including deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, bear and bighorn sheep.
The young hunter must hold a valid hunting license and otherwise be eligible to possess the tag. The youth also must be accompanied while hunting by a parent, legal guardian or grandparent.
The law contains important provisions for California’s drawing system. When an eligible drawn tag is transferred, the youth receiving it does not lose their own preference points as a result of the transfer. The person who originally drew the tag, however, does not regain preference points that were used or lost in obtaining it.
That could make the program particularly significant for families when an adult draws a difficult-to-obtain premium deer, elk, pronghorn or bighorn sheep tag but would rather provide the hunting opportunity to a child or grandchild.
The Fish and Game Commission still needs to adopt regulations implementing the program, so hunters should watch for additional details before attempting to transfer a tag. The law allows a fee to cover the reasonable administrative cost of processing transfers and currently provides for the program to remain in effect through the end of 2032.
Firearm Carry During Archery Deer Season
AB 2207 follows another hunter-specific bill signed by Newsom on August 27.
AB 1912, also authored by Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, removes California’s longstanding prohibition on possessing a firearm while hunting deer during an archery-only season. The change means a licensed hunter may carry a firearm during an archery deer hunt without needing a CCW permit solely for that purpose, subject to California’s other firearm laws and location-specific restrictions. The firearm still cannot be used to take a deer during the archery-only season; the deer must be taken with equipment legal for that hunt.
What About California’s 10 New Gun Laws?
On September 26, Newsom separately signed a package of 10 firearm-related bills. They include measures addressing firearm prohibitions, protective orders, voluntary firearm storage, 3D-printed firearms, juveniles and firearm-safety certificates.
For hunters, SB 948 is probably the most noteworthy. It expands California’s Firearm Safety Certificate training requirements, including a future requirement for applicants generally to complete additional firearm-safety training.
However, hunters should not interpret the new law as requiring every California hunter to complete a new training course simply to purchase a hunting rifle or shotgun. California law provides an FSC exemption for a person holding a valid hunting license when acquiring a long gun, and the new legislation does not broadly turn the FSC training requirement into a new hunting-license requirement.
The other bills in the September 26 package generally have even less direct connection to hunting. They do not establish new California hunting seasons, change legal methods of take, alter hunting ammunition rules or change which firearms may be used to hunt particular game species.
More Changes for California Hunters
Taken together, the recent legislation produces a somewhat unusual mix for California hunters. While the state’s latest firearm package focuses largely on gun ownership, storage and enforcement issues outside the hunting regulations, AB 1912 and AB 2207 make specific changes benefiting hunting families and licensed hunters.
The youth tag-transfer program in particular could create new opportunities for young hunters to experience premium California big-game hunts that can otherwise take years of drawing applications to obtain. Hunters interested in using the program should watch for implementing regulations from the California Fish and Game Commission before the program becomes operational.
Keep California Hunting Regulations Straight with Hunterizer
California hunting regulations can vary significantly by species, zone, season and method of take—and new laws are only one part of the regulatory picture.
The Hunterizer app helps California hunters quickly determine what they can legally hunt at their location on a particular date, with season dates, hunting zones, legal weapons, bag limits, shooting hours and other important regulations available in one place.
As California’s 2026 hunting seasons continue and regulations evolve for future years, check Hunterizer before heading into the field to make sure you know what is open, where you can hunt and which rules apply.
