DOJ ends LA concealed carry lawsuit after sheriff slashes permit delays

In September 2025, the Department of Justice filed what it called its first-ever affirmative lawsuit on behalf of gun owners, targeting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for systematically delaying concealed carry permit applications. The case centered on a straightforward constitutional claim: that by leaving thousands of applications in bureaucratic limbo, the sheriff's department was effectively denying residents their Second Amendment rights.

The numbers told the story. Between January 2024 and March 2025, LASD received 3,982 applications for new concealed carry licenses. By May 2025, the department had approved exactly two. Nearly 2,768 applications sat pending while another 1,210 had been withdrawn—many by applicants who simply gave up. The average wait time stretched past nine months. The median delay was 372 days. Some applicants waited 1,030 days. That's nearly three years to get a yes or no answer on a constitutional right.

California law is clear: licensing authorities must provide an initial decision within 90 days. The DOJ alleged that LASD's delays amounted to a pattern of constitutional deprivation, effectively forcing applicants to abandon their efforts. The federal investigation had begun in March 2025, after the Civil Rights Division received numerous complaints about how the department handled these applications. One court case cited by prosecutors showed applicants facing waits of roughly 18 months just to get a response.

The lawsuit came as part of a broader Trump administration initiative to use federal civil rights enforcement as a tool for protecting Second Amendment claims. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi framed it plainly when the case was filed: Los Angeles County might not like the Second Amendment, but the Constitution does not permit them to infringe on it. The DOJ even established a dedicated Second Amendment Section within the Civil Rights Division to pursue similar challenges across the country.

What happened next was unexpected speed. Sheriff Robert Luna's department responded by devoting substantial resources to the problem. They hired additional personnel and implemented new processing software designed to eliminate the backlog and ensure applications moved through objective standards without delay. The turnaround was dramatic enough that by August 2026, the DOJ announced it was ending the lawsuit. LASD was now meeting California's statutory deadlines. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called it a "huge win" for Los Angeles County residents and gun owners.

The settlement represents the conclusion of litigation that had escalated quickly from investigation to federal court. It also sits within a larger legal landscape. Separate cases brought by the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners of California, the Second Amendment Foundation, and individual gun owners had already challenged California's concealed carry restrictions. One preliminary injunction from that litigation opened the door for qualifying non-residents to apply for permits. California subsequently changed its law to match, and LASD's application portal now includes an option for out-of-state applicants.

Under the settlement, LASD has committed to maintaining procedures that ensure applications are processed under objective standards without lengthy delays. The DOJ's newly formed Second Amendment Section will continue accepting complaints from gun owners who believe state or local governments have infringed their right to keep or bear arms. The case marks a shift in how federal civil rights enforcement is being deployed—no longer only in defense of traditional civil rights categories, but now explicitly in service of Second Amendment claims.