The Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of California, and the California Rifle & Pistol Association have announced a settlement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over the county’s long‑running delays and barriers in processing concealed carry permit applications.
For years, LCSD failed to process CCW applications within the legally required 120‑day window. Instead, the department erected multiple bureaucratic obstacles that effectively denied ordinary Americans the ability to exercise their right to armed self‑defense. Gun owners sued, arguing the county was openly violating constitutional rights.
The situation grew so egregious that even the U.S. Department of Justice stepped in, filing its own lawsuit against Los Angeles County for systemic CCW permitting violations.
According to a press release from the Second Amendment Foundation, the settlement includes several major components:
- A preliminary injunction forced LCSD to begin issuing permits to non‑residents. Those requirements were later codified permanently under AB 1078, ensuring non‑resident applicants cannot be stonewalled.
- A second preliminary injunction barred LCSD from forcing applicants to wait years—far beyond the six‑month statutory limit—for either approval or a lawful denial.
- LCSD had also been blocking applicants who previously had temporary restraining orders issued against them, even when those orders were dissolved without a full hearing. The department continued to impose waiting periods despite the orders being rescinded and despite evidence showing the TROs should never have been issued in the first place.
While the settlement between LCSD and the gun‑rights organizations is complete, the DOJ’s separate lawsuit remains active. The SAF notes that the settlement still requires final approval from the Los Angeles County Claims Board.
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