Overview

• The newly filed complaint in the Central District of California is the DOJ’s first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners.
• Federal investigators say LASD data showed only two approvals from more than 8,000 applications over roughly 15 months, with interviews set as far as two years out.
• The DOJ cites California’s statutory timelines and the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision in alleging an unlawful pattern or practice that effectively denies permits through delay.
• The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction, and DOJ attorneys provided a contact for applicants who have waited over four months without a decision.
• LASD has previously pointed to a significant staffing crisis, noting about 15,000 historical approvals and roughly 4,000 active cases, as separate gun-rights litigation and court orders on wait times continue.