California Leads the Nation in the Fight Against Gun Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2024 State Gun Law Rankings Show

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety launched the updated “Gun Law Rankings” for 2024, an online tool and website that ranks all 50 states based on the strength of their gun laws and catalogs gun safety laws state by state. This year, Everytown’s state gun law rankings also shows whether states’ rankings increased or decreased over the past year, reflecting progress made by passing common-sense gun safety policies or setbacks as a result of enacting dangerous measures backed by the gun lobby. Everytown’s analysis found that California continues to rank first in the nation for the strength of its gun laws.

In 2023, gun-sense legislators in Sacramento took action to pass many common-sense gun safety laws including:  

• AB 28, The Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act: creates a permanent funding source outside the state budget for life-saving programs, including the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant program, school safety programs, and more.
• SB 2: legislation to address the dangerous conditions created by the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen by strengthening California’s laws about who can carry a gun in public, what types of training are required to carry a gun in public, how law enforcement vets applicants for concealed carry permits, and where they can bring their guns. 
• SB 452: legislation to ensure California’s microstamping law is finally and fully implemented, ensuring that firearms sold in California incorporate technology which can help solve crime, stop retaliatory cycles of violence, and bring closure for survivors. 

“For over a decade, our grassroots army has worked in lockstep with our gun safety champions to keep California families safe from senseless acts of gun violence – this ranking showcases how far we’ve come and the road ahead,” said Cassandra Whetstone, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Now we go back to work to ensure these new measures are implemented comprehensively and our communities are well equipped to continue fighting gun violence at every level.” 

“California is leading our country toward a future where young people can actually grow up without living in constant fear of gun violence, and Everytown has the receipts to show for it,” said Emmanuel Macedo, a volunteer leader with the University of California at Berkeley Students Demand Action chapter. “There’s no greater threat to my generation than gun violence, and while we’ve made incredible progress, we know not to take our foot off the gas. We’ll keep mobilizing in our schools, testifying at the state legislature and voting at the ballot box to make sure our safety always remains top of mind to our lawmakers.” 

In an average year, 3,253 people die and 7,293 are wounded by guns in California. California ranks 45th in both  gun death rates and societal cost of gun violence at $1,060 per person each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost California $41.9 billion, of which $1.1 billion is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in California is available here. To speak with an expert about Everytown’s State Gun Law Rankings or gun violence prevention efforts in California, please contact [email protected].