LA County Sheriff Reaches DOJ Settlement Over Concealed Carry Permit Delays

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has agreed to meet California deadlines for processing concealed carry firearm permits and publicly report its wait times under a proposed settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. The agreement would resolve a federal lawsuit accusing the agency of effectively denying Second Amendment rights through prolonged application delays.

Federal officials sued the Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Robert Luna in September 2025 after reviewing more than 8,000 concealed carry applications submitted between January 2024 and March 2025. Among 3,982 applications for new licenses, the Justice Department alleged that only two permits had been issued and two denied as of May 8, 2025. More than 2,700 remained pending, while over 1,200 applicants had withdrawn their requests.

According to the complaint, it took an average of 281 days for LASD to move a new application to its next required step. Some applicants allegedly waited nearly three years, while interviews for others were scheduled more than two years after their applications were filed.

LASD says it has since eliminated the backlog and brought its processing times within state requirements. The department created a dedicated Carry Conceal Unit in summer 2025 with 16 full-time employees and made other changes to speed up applications. DOJ has also credited the agency with adding staff and new processing software.

California allows qualified applicants to obtain licenses to carry concealed firearms, but state law sets deadlines for licensing agencies to act. Authorities generally must make an initial determination within 90 days after receiving a completed application. A final decision on a new permit is generally due within 120 days of the completed application or 30 days after required information is returned by the California Department of Justice, whichever comes later.

DOJ’s case went beyond whether LASD was meeting those state deadlines. Federal officials argued that delays lasting months or years could also interfere with the constitutional right recognized by the Supreme Court in its 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

In Bruen, the court held that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. The ruling did not bar states from requiring permits based on objective requirements such as background checks and firearms training.

The court also noted that lengthy application waits or excessive fees could raise constitutional concerns if they prevent ordinary citizens from exercising that right. DOJ relied on that part of the ruling to argue that a licensing system may become an unlawful barrier because of how it is administered, even when the permit requirements themselves are allowed.

The Justice Department brought the case under a federal civil rights law that permits it to seek court-ordered changes when it alleges a pattern or practice of law enforcement conduct that violates constitutional or federal rights. The government relied on department-wide application data rather than an isolated delay to argue that the alleged problem was systemic. DOJ opened its investigation in March 2025 and later described the lawsuit as its first affirmative case filed in support of gun owners.

Under the proposed settlement, LASD must meet California’s processing deadlines and maintain a concealed carry licensing system consistent with federal constitutional requirements. For four years, the department will also have to publish information about its processing times, including average waits and data on complaints involving delays.

DOJ may compare those reports against department records. LASD must also file a declaration within 90 days after the agreement takes effect describing the steps it has taken to comply with its terms.

The Sheriff’s Department does not admit liability under the settlement.

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett must still approve the agreement before it takes effect. If approved, the court will retain authority to enforce its terms for four years, after which the lawsuit is scheduled to be dismissed with prejudice.