Jan 26, 2022 - Politics & Policy

San José set to become 1st city in U.S. to require gun liability insurance

Rebecca Falconer

San Jose, Calif., Mayor Sam Liccardo speaks during a 2020 news conference at the Bloom Energy campus in Sunnyvale, Calif. — San José Mayor Sam Liccardo speaks during a 2020 news conference in Sunnyvale, California. Photo: Beth LaBerge/KQED via AP, Pool

The San José City Council voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay an annual $25 fee per household.

Why it matters: The city in Silicon Valley, California, is the first in the U.S. to vote in favor of adopting a law "requiring gun owners to have insurance coverage for their firearms, and use fees paid by gun owners to invest in evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun harm," per a statement from San José Mayor Sam Liccardo.

The council approved a draft of the ordinance last year following a mass shooting at a transit station in the city.

What they're saying: "While the Second Amendment protects every citizen's right to own a gun, it does not require taxpayers to subsidize that right," Liccardo said in a statement ahead of the vote.

What to watch: Gun rights groups have vowed to challenge the measure.

"[O]ur message is clear and simple: see you in court," said Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights and executive director of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, to CNN.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show gun owners must pay an annual $25 fee per household, not per weapon.

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San José set to become 1st city in U.S. to require gun liability insurance

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