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The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Sheriff Robert Luna on Tuesday, accusing it of “systematically” delaying concealed carry permits of law-abiding citizens in violation of the Second Amendment.
The lawsuit, which the DOJ touts as its first-ever affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners, alleges the LASD created a “pattern and practice” of obstruction by forcing law-abiding citizens to wait months and even years for a decision.
The DOJ said in their complaint that between January 2024 and March 2025, the sheriff’s office received 3,982 new applications for concealed carry permits and, as of May 8, approved only two. As of that date, two of the remaining applications were denied, 1,210 “were withdrawn for various reasons,” and “approximately 2,768 applications for a new license to carry a concealed firearm remained pending.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
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The lawsuit follows an investigation started by the DOJ in March after its civil rights division received numerous complaints about delays it said were “inexplicable,” well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
The department said it reviewed more than 8,000 applications received by the LASD, including renewals, and found delays averaging more than a year. Some applicants had interviews scheduled into late 2026 — more than two years after filing.
California law requires authorities to respond to applications within 90 days.
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“The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, comes after gun groups brought a separate case led by the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) along with Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners of California and the Second Amendment Foundation.
That lawsuit accused Luna and LASD of dragging out concealed carry applications with long delays, added fees and new requirements. A judge has already issued a partial injunction, ordering LASD to shorten wait times and requiring California to open a process for non-residents to apply for permits beginning in April.
The California Rifle & Pistol Association welcomed news of the DOJ lawsuit.
“CRPA and our allies blazed a trail over the past three years, going county-by-county across California to ensure Bruen-compliant CCW (concealed carry weapon) processes,” Chuck Michel, CRPA’s president and general counsel said. “Stubborn jurisdictions, such as Los Angeles, dug in their heels with delays, fees and new requirements to keep lawful citizens from securing CCW’s. We are thrilled that the Trump Administration finds this abuse as egregious as we do.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
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