LA gun owners stuck waiting years for concealed carry permits score major DOJ victory

At the time of the lawsuit, applicants were waiting an average of more than nine months to receive decisions on their permits, the DOJ alleged. LASD has since "drastically" reduced those waits and is now complying with California's statutory deadlines, the DOJ said.

"We applaud their efforts and are happy to be able to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion!"

The settlement caps a battle that began in March 2025, when the DOJ's Civil Rights Division opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into whether the nation's largest sheriff's department was effectively denying residents their constitutional right to bear arms through excessive permitting delays.

The DOJ said at the time that it had received numerous complaints about the department's handling of concealed carry applications. Federal officials pointed to a court case in which applicants had faced waits of roughly 18 months.

Federal prosecutors alleged that between January 2024 and March 2025, LASD received 3,982 applications for new concealed carry licenses but had approved just two as of May 2025.

Approximately 2,768 applications remained pending, while another 1,210 had been withdrawn, according to the complaint.

The federal government alleged applicants waited an average of 281 days before LASD took action on its applications, while the median delay was 372 days. Some applicants had waited as long as 1,030 days - nearly three years.

The DOJ argued those delays amounted to a "pattern or practice" of depriving people of their constitutional rights, alleging LASD was effectively forcing some applicants to abandon their efforts to obtain a permit.

"The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms," former Attorney General Pam Bondi said when the lawsuit was filed. "Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it."

Under the settlement announced Thursday, LASD will maintain procedures designed to ensure concealed carry applications are processed under objective standards and without lengthy delays.

The DOJ credited Sheriff Robert Luna's department with putting additional personnel and new technology toward eliminating the backlog.

The DOJ said its Second Amendment Section will continue accepting complaints from current and prospective gun owners who believe state or local governments have infringed their right to keep or bear arms.

Fox News Digital reached out to the LASD for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.