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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) has significantly reduced the delays for concealed carry permits. This change follows a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit accusing the agency of leaving thousands of applications unaddressed, forcing gun owners to wait nearly three years for decisions.
The Department of Justice has ended its lawsuit against LASD, as the sheriff’s department now meets California’s permitting deadlines. This improvement is due to added personnel and new processing software.
The lawsuit brought the nation’s largest law enforcement agency into the spotlight of the Trump administration’s push for Second Amendment rights. The DOJ called the resolution a “huge win” for residents and gun owners of Los Angeles County.
The agreement concludes a case the DOJ praised in September 2025 as its first-ever lawsuit supporting gun owners’ Second Amendment rights. At the lawsuit’s initiation, applicants waited over nine months on average for permits. LASD has now significantly cut these waits by complying with California’s statutory deadlines.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division commended LASD’s efforts. The sheriff devoted substantial additional resources, including new technology enhancements, to reducing waiting times.
The settlement concludes a battle starting in March 2025 when the DOJ began investigating whether LASD was excessively delaying permits, thus denying constitutional rights to bear arms. The investigation highlighted complaints about the handling of concealed carry applications.
Federal prosecutors alleged significant issues with LASD’s application process between January 2024 and March 2025. Though LASD received 3,982 applications for licenses, only two were approved by May 2025.
Approximately 2,768 applications remained pending, with 1,210 withdrawn. On average, applicants waited 281 days, with a median delay of 372 days. Some had waited as long as 1,030 days for a response.
California law requires authorities to provide a decision within 90 days. The DOJ argued LASD’s delays amounted to a pattern of depriving people of their rights, forcing some to abandon their permit efforts.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms.” She emphasized the importance of respecting this right despite differing opinions.
Separate litigation had already challenged California’s concealed carry restrictions. The case led to a preliminary injunction allowing non-residents to apply for permits, prompting California to change its laws accordingly.
The DOJ’s broader effort sought to use federal civil rights enforcement to protect Second Amendment rights. The Civil Rights Division established a Second Amendment Section, challenging firearm laws and permitting practices nationally.
Under the settlement, LASD will continue processing permits under objective standards, avoiding lengthy delays. Sheriff Robert Luna’s department received credit for addressing the backlog through personnel and technology additions.
The DOJ’s Second Amendment Section will keep accepting complaints from gun owners who feel their rights are infringed by state or local authorities.
Fox News Digital reached out to LASD, but there was no immediate response.
Stepheny Price writes for Fox News, focusing on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, crime stories, and border security.