COSTA MESA, Calif.—California’s gun laws remain some of the strictest in the nation. According to the CATO Institute’s Freedom in the 50 States Index, the state is ranked 49th in the nation in firearms freedom, followed by Hawaii.
The state has restrictive assault weapons laws, mandatory background checks, waiting periods, red-flag laws, a minimum 21-year age requirement to purchase firearms, and until recently, a limit on high-capacity magazines.
