The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) regarding long wait times and high fees for concealed carry permits. This announcement came on Thursday and is part of a broader review of gun rights laws in California and other states.
The DOJ’s inquiry follows a lawsuit that highlighted an 18-month delay for applicants seeking concealed carry licenses from the LASD. The department expressed concern that these delays might be infringing on the Second Amendment rights of residents in Los Angeles. The DOJ stated that it is likely many others are facing similar long wait times, which could effectively deny them their rights.
California has been labeled a “particularly egregious offender” by the Justice Department. They pointed out that the state has resisted recent Supreme Court rulings that support Second Amendment rights and has enacted laws to further restrict gun ownership. Just last month, President Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to assess how gun rights are being infringed across the country.
In a statement, Bondi emphasized that the DOJ will actively enforce Second Amendment rights, just as it does with other constitutional rights. She stated, “This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans.”
The LASD has responded by asserting its commitment to upholding the Second Amendment. They attributed the delays in processing applications to limited staff and a backlog of cases. Currently, the department has only 14 employees in the concealed carry unit and is working through approximately 4,000 active applications.
Legal experts have noted that this type of DOJ investigation is unusual, as they typically focus on police misconduct, like excessive force or racial bias. Jacob Charles, a law professor, remarked that this investigation seems to reflect a partisan divide, with the Trump administration targeting liberal jurisdictions.
Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, welcomed the investigation, crediting it to their lawsuit challenging the LASD’s permitting process. He suggested that the DOJ’s involvement is a direct result of the issues uncovered in their legal challenge.
The investigation may extend beyond the LASD, as Michel indicated that other law enforcement agencies in California, including the LAPD, might also be guilty of similar delays and excessive fees.
Bondi hopes this investigation will encourage localities to better protect Second Amendment rights. If not, she warned that it could be the first of many similar probes across California and the nation.
The outcome of this investigation could set important precedents for how gun rights are handled in California and potentially influence practices in other states.