Can I carry in a courthouse?

[OCResident]

Q: Can a licensed CCW holder carry in a courthouse? What about a federal courthouse?

Federal courthouse - no.

State courthouse (including "county" courthouses) - legally, yes - however, most courthouses have security and will not allow weapons in unless you are on-duty LEO.

Best to disarm prior to going in - or you may consider calling ahead and inquiring whether court security will allow a CCW holder to store their weapon in the Sheriff's secure storage. I can confirm at least two LA County courthouses allow this. Make sure, however, that you quietly notify the security officer(s) PRIOR to entering the metal detector and show them your CCW and ask to use the weapon storage facilities prior to entering.

Note that Penal Code section 171(b) - which is what is posted verbatim on the big sign under the words NO WEAPONS at the entrance of most courthouses - provides an exemption for CCW holders and Peace Officers - but not if you are a party to an action being heard by the court.

Penal Code 171b.
(a) Any person who brings or possesses within any state or
local public building or at any meeting required to be open to the
public pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part
1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of, or Article 9 (commencing with Section
11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of, the
Government Code, any of the following is guilty of a public offense
punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one
year, or in the state prison:
(1) Any firearm.
...
(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to, or affect, any of the
following:
...
(2)
(A) A duly appointed peace officer...
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), subdivision (a) shall apply
to any person who brings or possesses any weapon specified therein within any courtroom if he or she is a party to an action pending before the court.
(3) A person holding a valid license to carry the firearm pursuant
to Article 3 (commencing with Section 12050) of Chapter 1 of Title 2
of Part 4.
(c) As used in this section, "state or local public building"
means a building that meets all of the following criteria:
(1) It is a building or part of a building owned or leased by the
state or local government, if state or local public employees are
regularly present for the purposes of performing their official
duties. A state or local public building includes, but is not
limited to, a building that contains a courtroom.
(2) It is not a building or facility, or a part thereof, that is
referred to in Section 171c, 171d, 626.9, 626.95, or 626.10 of this
code, or in Section 18544 of the Elections Code.
(3) It is a building not regularly used, and not intended to be
used, by state or local employees as a place of residence.

The information in this FAQ post should be considered "as-is" and is not guaranteed to be accurate in any way. The maintainers of this site make an effort, when possible, to try to verify the information, but we are not lawyers and, therefore, we cannot and will not give legal advice. If you need accurate answers, hire an attorney who is licensed in the state in question that specializes in firearms. It is completely up to the reader to verify ALL information contained in this FAQ post.