California leads U.S. with strictest gun safety laws reducing fatalities

California continues to lead the nation with its strong gun safety laws, which have been associated with a reduction in gun-related deaths. According to Giffords Law Center and Everytown for Gun Safety, California ranks as the number one state for stringent gun regulations and boasts some of the lowest rates of gun fatalities. In contrast, states like Texas and Florida, which rank 32nd and 21st respectively in terms of gun law strength, report firearm mortality rates more than 50% higher than those in California.

The California Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention reports that if the rest of the United States had matched California's gun death rate over the past decade, nearly 140,000 lives could have been saved along with potentially hundreds of thousands fewer injuries from firearms.

In 2016, California became the first state to implement a "red flag law," designed to reduce gun violence through protection orders. These orders prohibit firearm possession for individuals under various legal restrictions such as domestic violence or workplace harassment. Within three years of their introduction, these measures helped prevent 58 potential mass shootings. From 2020 to 2023, there was a notable increase in the use of Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), rising by 118%.

Despite firearms being a leading cause of death among children and adolescents nationwide, California has seen significant progress in reducing youth firearm homicides compared to national trends. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that in 2022, California's youth firearm homicide rate was about half that recorded across other U.S. states. Meanwhile, nationwide youth gun homicides increased by over 46% between 2019 and 2021.

However, criminals exploit softer gun laws in neighboring states. In 2021 alone, more than half (50.4%) of firearms recovered during criminal investigations in California were traced back to dealers outside the state.

Key elements of California’s gun safety framework include an assault weapons ban prohibiting possession and distribution; red flag laws allowing certain parties to request GVROs; a private right allowing lawsuits against illegal weapon manufacturers; a strict ten-day waiting period on purchases; universal background checks on all transactions; robust mental health reporting requirements; and age restrictions mandating purchasers be at least 21 for handguns or at least 18 for long guns.

Governor Newsom further strengthened these regulations last year by signing bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing mass violence incidents.