The Wire · CalGunHub

Newsom signs AB 1912, repealing 1955-era firearm ban for archery deer hunters

Published August 27, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

The bill removes the Fish and Game Code prohibition on carrying a firearm while archery hunting deer, while archery equipment rules for taking deer remain.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: AB 1912 affects licensed hunters who archery hunt deer in California. Under the amended Fish and Game Code section 4370, effective Jan. 1, 2027, the longstanding statutory ban on carrying a firearm during archery deer hunting is removed. Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations governing archery season equipment are unchanged, so the method of take remains archery only. Hunters should also remember that carrying a concealable firearm remains subject to other applicable statutes, and the details of the amended section control. This is general information, not legal advice.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1912 on Aug. 27, 2026, and it was chaptered the same day as Chapter 132 of the Statutes of 2026, part of a 35-bill signing announcement from the Governor's office. The author is Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas), with Sen. Megan Dahle as principal coauthor and coauthors Alanis, Cortese and Grove.

The bill amends Fish and Game Code section 4370, deleting a restriction dating to the 1950s that barred a person taking deer with bow and arrow from carrying or possessing a firearm. Under the amended statute, a licensed hunter carrying a concealable firearm during archery deer season no longer violates that provision. Separate Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations still limit the archery season to archery equipment, so the firearm may not be used to take deer; the change concerns carry, not the method of take.

The measure moved through the Legislature without a dissenting vote. The Assembly passed it 68-0 on April 16, 2026, and the Senate followed 39-0 on Aug. 10, per the bill's leginfo history and committee analyses cited by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, which confirmed the Aug. 27 signing. The bill was enrolled Aug. 18.

Hadwick, whose district spans much of rural northeastern California, carried several hunting and outdoor measures during the 2026 session. Sportsmen's groups described the repeal as a personal-protection measure for hunters in remote bear and mountain lion country. AB 1912 is a non-urgency bill, so the amended statute takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, meaning the 2026 archery deer season proceeded under the prior law.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.