For responsible gun owners, insurance for responsible gun owners can be a powerful tool. It can protect you from the unintended consequences of your actions, just like homeowners and auto insurers do for their customers. Gun owners’ liability policies are typically quite affordable, and they offer a variety of coverage options that can help to close the gaps left behind by standard homeowner’s and renters’ insurance plans.

The city’s new requirement requires that gun owners maintain “a homeowner’s, condo unit or renter’s insurance policy or other insurance policy… specifically covering losses or damages arising from the negligent use of firearms.” Failing to have such a policy is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $3,000 and can result in the immediate revocation of the gun owner’s registration, license, and gun ownership privileges.

Insurance for Responsible Gun Owners: Features to Look For

San Jose officials claim the mandate will save lives by incentivizing responsible gun ownership practices and making lawful gun owners foot the financial costs of gun violence. But the reality is that this approach imposes unnecessary burdens on lawful gun owners and is unlikely to save taxpayer dollars, let alone any lives.

The problem is that the types of injuries the city cites – accidental shootings involving people who live in households where the gun owner is present, and homicides committed with legally possessed guns – don’t fall within the scope of most traditional homeowners and renters insurance. And requiring that gun owners buy a policy that excludes these kinds of negligent, accident-producing injuries would run counter to basic insurance underwriting principles.