SECTIONS 25850 - California Statutes

PENAL CODE

SECTION 25850

25850. (a) A person is guilty of carrying a loaded firearm when the
person carries a loaded firearm on the person or in a vehicle while
in any public place or on any public street in an incorporated city
or in any public place or on any public street in a prohibited area
of unincorporated territory.
(b) In order to determine whether or not a firearm is loaded for
the purpose of enforcing this section, peace officers are authorized
to examine any firearm carried by anyone on the person or in a
vehicle while in any public place or on any public street in an
incorporated city or prohibited area of an unincorporated territory.
Refusal to allow a peace officer to inspect a firearm pursuant to
this section constitutes probable cause for arrest for violation of
this section.
(c) Carrying a loaded firearm in violation of this section is
punishable, as follows:
(1) Where the person previously has been convicted of any felony,
or of any crime made punishable by a provision listed in Section
16580, as a felony.
(2) Where the firearm is stolen and the person knew or had
reasonable cause to believe that it was stolen, as a felony.
(3) Where the person is an active participant in a criminal street
gang, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 186.22, under the
Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (Chapter 11
(commencing with Section 186.20) of Title 7 of Part 1), as a felony.
(4) Where the person is not in lawful possession of the firearm,
or is within a class of persons prohibited from possessing or
acquiring a firearm pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section
29800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of
this title, or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, as a felony.
(5) Where the person has been convicted of a crime against a
person or property, or of a narcotics or dangerous drug violation, by
imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(6) Where the person is not listed with the Department of Justice
pursuant to Section 11106 as the registered owner of the handgun, by
imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in a county jail
not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or both that fine and imprisonment.
(7) In all cases other than those specified in paragraphs (1) to
(6), inclusive, as a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a
county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(d) (1) Every person convicted under this section who has
previously been convicted of an offense enumerated in Section 23515,
or of any crime made punishable under a provision listed in Section
16580, shall serve a term of at least three months in a county jail,
or, if granted probation or if the execution or imposition of
sentence is suspended, it shall be a condition thereof that the
person be imprisoned for a period of at least three months.
(2) The court shall apply the three-month minimum sentence except
in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served
by granting probation or suspending the imposition or execution of
sentence without the minimum imprisonment required in this section or
by granting probation or suspending the imposition or execution of
sentence with conditions other than those set forth in this section,
in which case, the court shall specify on the record and shall enter
on the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interests of
justice would best be served by that disposition.
(e) A violation of this section that is punished by imprisonment
in a county jail not exceeding one year shall not constitute a
conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding
one year for the purposes of determining federal firearms
eligibility under Section 922(g)(1) of Title 18 of the United States
Code.
(f) Nothing in this section, or in Article 3 (commencing with
Section 25900) or Article 4 (commencing with Section 26000), shall
preclude prosecution under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800)
or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of this
title, Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or
any other law with a greater penalty than this section.
(g) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) of
Section 836, a peace officer may make an arrest without a warrant:
(1) When the person arrested has violated this section, although
not in the officer's presence.
(2) Whenever the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the
person to be arrested has violated this section, whether or not this
section has, in fact, been violated.
(h) A peace officer may arrest a person for a violation of
paragraph (6) of subdivision (c), if the peace officer has probable
cause to believe that the person is carrying a handgun in violation
of this section and that person is not listed with the Department of
Justice pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 11106
as the registered owner of that handgun.