Well, would you look at that — Los Angeles County finally got the hint. The Second Amendment Foundation and their partners forced the sheriff's department to stop dragging their feet on concealed carry permits, and now they're actually processing applications within 120 days. Color me shocked.
See, this is what happens when you make bureaucrats follow the law. SAF, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, and others sued the heck out of LASD back in 2023 because people were waiting 18 months — sometimes almost three years — just to get a decision on their carry permit. That's not a permit system, that's a permit graveyard.
The settlement isn't final yet, but here's the deal: LASD says they're now hitting the 120-day deadline California law requires. That's progress, sure. But let's not start throwing parades. Four months to process a background check that takes minutes is still ridiculous. The right to carry doesn't come from a form — it comes from the Constitution, and it existed before any sheriff ever saw these applications.
Oh, and get this — California finally created a pathway for non-residents to apply for permits too. Before, if you didn't live in California, you were basically told to pound sand. Now they have to let out-of-state folks apply thanks to AB 1078. It's not full reciprocity, but it's better than the absolute ban they had before.
Here's the thing that gets me: none of this happened because California suddenly decided to respect the Second Amendment. They were dragged kicking and screaming through the courts. The DOJ also has their own lawsuit against LASD still pending, which is pretty damning — apparently the department only issued TWO permits from nearly 4,000 applications over a 14-month period. That's not a backlog, that's a blockade.
The SAF folks say they'll be watching to make sure LASD doesn't go back to their old tricks once the spotlight fades. Smart move. California's respect for our rights tends to evaporate the moment nobody's watching.
The lesson here? Sue early, sue often. Because the government will take every inch you give them — and then some.