The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), alleging that the department has engaged in a pattern of delaying concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits for law-abiding citizens. This marks the first time the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has taken legal action in support of gun owners seeking such permits.
The Civil Rights Division began its investigation on March 27, 2025, after receiving complaints about unreasonable delays in CCW permit decisions by LASD. The investigation reviewed data and documents from over 8,000 CCW permit applications before filing suit to seek relief for affected applicants.
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
“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.”
After Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon assumed her position leading the Civil Rights Division, multiple complaints indicated delays that exceeded California's statutory requirements and conflicted with recent Supreme Court interpretations regarding Second Amendment rights.
Nearly two months after being notified about the investigation, LASD provided information showing only two approvals out of more than 8,000 applications, with some interviews scheduled as late as two years after application submission. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Attorneys from both the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California conducted this investigation.
Applicants who have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the United States are encouraged to contact Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov. The mailbox is monitored by attorneys focused on protecting Second Amendment rights.
