SAN JOSE (BCN/KPIX) – San Jose gun owners could be required to purchase liability insurance and pay an annual fee on their weapons under an ordinance lawmakers are expected to approve this week.
The San Jose City Council is scheduled to make a final vote on Tuesday. If the ordinance passes, it would be the first of its kind in the nation. Gun advocates are vowing to fight back.
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The city has been revising the ordinance since last summer, after the council voted unanimously to direct staff to study the issue.
Mayor Sam Liccardo was asked if there was enough council support to pass his proposal tomorrow.
“I’m never going to predict whether or not we have the votes,” said Liccardo.
At a press event in front of Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, Liccardo unveiled more details about the insurance and annual fee.
Owners would have to keep proof of insurance, and proof of fee payment with the firearm at all times. The documents must be shown to a police officer upon request. Penalties include impoundment or the weapon, or a fine.
Each household would pay the $25 fee every year, and the fee would cover all firearms within the household. The city estimates there are up to 55,000 households that own a firearm, with an estimated annual revenue of $1.4 million dollars. The fees would be collected by, and distributed to, four separate non-profits that provide services in suicide prevention,…
