Los Angeles to speed up gun licensing process to settle US government lawsuit

Los Angeles County agreed to speed up concealed‑carry license processing to settle a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit that accused the sheriff of unconstitutionally delaying applicants; the settlement was filed in federal court and awaits a judge’s approval.
The suit highlighted extreme backlogs — typical waits of about nine months and sometimes over two years — and said only 2 of 3,982 new applications (Jan 2024–Mar 2025) were approved; county officials have since cut wait times dramatically.
Under the settlement the county must meet state deadlines (including reviews within 90 days) and keep its licensing rules consistent with the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision; the DOJ credited new software and added staff for the improvements.