The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has agreed to accelerate the approval of concealed carry handgun licenses after settling a lawsuit with the Department of Justice, marking a significant shift in the county’s approach to Second Amendment rights.
Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, hailed the agreement as a major achievement. “This is a significant victory for our office and the 2nd Amendment,” he said, sharing details from local ABC7 coverage of the deal between the DOJ and the LASD.
Bruen Ruling Sparks Changes
The settlement stems from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which struck down aggressive “good cause” requirements for carrying handguns in public. California Democrats had sought to impose additional restrictions on concealed carry licensing, and some sheriff’s offices reportedly used delays to make obtaining permits difficult or nearly impossible for residents.
When the DOJ filed its lawsuit last year, the average wait time for applicants was about nine months, according to ABC7. That backlog has now been eliminated, officials said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division praised the resolution. “The Justice Department supports our law enforcement partners,” she said. “The sheriff acknowledged the problem and devoted substantial additional resources, including new processing software and additional personnel, to cutting waiting times dramatically. We applaud their efforts and are happy to be able to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion!”
LASD Overhauls Process
The sheriff’s department issued its own statement marking the agreement, pointing to concrete improvements made over the past year. “During the last year, the department has made significant strides and has eliminated the backlog of applications for carry conceal permits,” the statement said.
The department established a dedicated Carry Conceal Unit in summer 2025, staffed by 16 full-time personnel. The application process also moved from paper forms to a fully automated system, which officials say is more efficient and transparent.
LASD also noted it began publicly reporting CCW permit statistics on its website earlier this year to give applicants better insight into the process. “Soon will expand the public reporting to include total application processing times and other relevant information,” the department added.
Broader Second Amendment Advances
The Los Angeles settlement is not the only recent Second Amendment victory for gun rights advocates. This month, the DOJ also conceded that preventing all citizens from carrying firearms in post offices is unconstitutional, and advocates are hopeful that decision could lead to expanded carry privileges in other federal and public spaces.
The developments mark a notable departure from the previous legal landscape, where some California jurisdictions used lengthy approval processes as a de facto barrier to concealed carry. With the LASD now committing to faster processing and greater transparency, the practical impact for applicants in the state’s largest county could be substantial, though the full effects remain to be seen.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/14/los-angeles-sheriff-agrees-to-speed-up-concealed-carry-gun-licensing-n4956166
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