FRESNO, CA — The Fresno County Board of Supervisors has approved a steep increase in fees for concealed carry (CCW) permits, raising new concerns among Second Amendment advocates that the rising cost of lawful carry is pricing some citizens out of their right to self-defense.
On October 21, 2025, the Board voted to amend the county’s Master Schedule of Fees for the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Office. The changes include a 65% increase for new CCW permits — from $115 to $190 plus state fees — and a 200% increase for renewals, which will now cost $75 plus state fees. The modification or add-on fee remains at $10 per permit.
Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator John Zanoni said the adjustment was necessary to ensure full cost recovery for staffing, benefits, and administrative expenses, including costs associated with two identification technicians and support staff who process applications. The last fee increase was approved in 2007.
But for many responsible gun owners, the new rates highlight a broader issue: the growing cost to simply exercise a fundamental right.
Across much of the United States, the total cost to legally carry a firearm is significantly lower. In Texas, a concealed handgun license costs $40; in Wisconsin, a 5-year permit is $40; in Tennessee, the fee is $65; and in Georgia, around $78 for a new permit and $30 for renewals. Even Florida caps the initial fee around $60.
By comparison, Fresno County’s $190 fee is among the higher end in the nation — and that figure doesn’t include mandatory state background check fees, training costs, live scan fingerprinting, and range qualification expenses. When combined, the total cost of obtaining a CCW permit in California can easily exceed $300 to $400 — a sum that can be financially prohibitive for many working citizens.
While California’s system is designed for cost recovery and administrative accountability, it unintentionally creates an economic barrier between citizens and their right to self-defense. For a right guaranteed by the Constitution, the idea that it comes with a significant price tag is a growing point of contention among firearm owners and advocates.
In contrast, more than half of U.S. states now have constitutional carry laws, allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearm without a government-issued permit or recurring fees. States like Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee have adopted these measures, arguing that the right to bear arms should not depend on one’s ability to afford a permit.
Supporters of these laws point out that permit fees, training mandates, and renewal costs disproportionately affect lower-income individuals — often those who live in higher-crime areas and may have the most legitimate need for personal protection.
As Fresno County moves forward with its newly approved fee schedule, local firearm owners are left weighing the financial cost of compliance against the growing national trend toward constitutional carry. While California continues to enforce some of the most regulated and expensive CCW processes in the country, the debate underscores a fundamental question: should exercising the right to self-defense carry a price tag?
