California vs New York

Laws Comparison

California

New York

How California and New York compare on laws: gun laws status, alcohol laws, marijuana legalization, and more.

Overview

Key differences

Minimum Marriage Age

New York has a higher minimum marriage age than California.

Gun Ownership

California has a higher share of adults who own guns than New York.

Metric	CA	NY	Deep dive
Gun Laws Status Simplified statewide gun-law label based on current Giffords grades: A to B = Restrictive, C to F = Permissive (scorecard modified February 20, 2026).	Restrictive	Restrictive	Details ->
Alcohol Laws Whether the state uses a control-state or license-state model for distilled-spirit sales (NABCA directory accessed April 6, 2026).	License State	License State	Details ->
Marijuana Legalization Current statewide marijuana status: Legal, Medical, or Illegal (NCSL state cannabis laws page updated June 27, 2025).	Legal	Legal	Details ->
Minimum Marriage Age Minimum marriage age with statutory exceptions. California has no statutory minimum age.	No statutory minimum	18 (banned)	Details ->
Gun Ownership Share of adults who personally own a gun (%).	20.7%	18.2%	Details ->
Abortion Law Status Simplified statewide abortion-law status and on-demand gestational limit in 2026.	Legal - Viability (~24 weeks (viability))	Limited to 24-25 Weeks (24 weeks)	Details ->
Right-to-Work Law Whether a right-to-work law is in effect in 2026.	No	No	Details ->