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After years of courtroom battles, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) says one of its biggest California carry-rights lawsuits has officially reached the finish line.
SAF announced Thursday that it has settled the remaining claims in California Rifle and Pistol Association v. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) after the department represented that it is now processing concealed carry permit applications within California’s required 120-day timeline.
The settlement still requires final approval from the Los Angeles County Claims Board, and it does not resolve a separate U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against LASD.
So ends CRPA v. LASD, a case we originally put together to try to deal with many different carry rights issues in California at once. Probably too many at once!
— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) August 5, 2026
I was handling it directly until I left M&A last summer, but SAF has of course remained a plaintiff since then too.… pic.twitter.com/D6IVfuf5u3
But according to SAF, the case accomplished far more than simply speeding up permit processing.
“This case was ambitious from the start, tackling several different obstacles Californians and visitors faced when trying to exercise their Second Amendment right to carry,” said SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Kostas Moros. “While we settled the remaining claims against LASD once they demonstrated compliance with the statutory timelines, the broader impact of the litigation is clear: California residents and nonresidents alike now have more Second Amendment freedoms thanks to the diligent work of SAF and its partners.”
The lawsuit originally challenged what SAF described as multiple barriers that made obtaining a California concealed carry permit difficult or, in some cases, practically impossible. Along the way, the organization says the litigation produced several significant victories.
Among the biggest wins was a preliminary injunction requiring California to begin issuing concealed carry permits to qualified nonresidents. According to SAF, it marked the first ruling in the country recognizing that the right to carry doesn’t automatically end at a state line. The organization notes that California later codified that change through Assembly Bill 1078.
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The case also targeted what SAF called LASD’s “extreme multi-year wait times” for permit applications. Combined with pressure from a parallel Justice Department lawsuit, SAF says the sheriff’s department ultimately brought its processing times into compliance with California law.
Other changes highlighted by SAF include revisions to California law eliminating automatic five-year concealed carry eligibility bans based solely on temporary restraining orders that were later dissolved without a full hearing. The lawsuit also prompted reforms in the City of La Verne, which subsidized psychological exam costs and reduced some permit-related fees. SAF says its challenge over excessive permit fees continues in a separate lawsuit against Santa Clara.
In other words, this wasn’t just one lawsuit about one county. It became a vehicle for changing how concealed carry permits are handled across several fronts in California.
SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut said the settlement demonstrates what litigation can accomplish when government agencies refuse to change course voluntarily.
“Lawmakers and officials in California have long treated the Second Amendment as a second-class right, and this settlement proves we will not stop until those who wish to trample our constitutional rights are held accountable,” Kraut said. “Litigation remains one of the most effective tools we have to force compliance with the Constitution when government agencies refuse to do so on their own.”
While this chapter appears to be closing, SAF says the broader fight isn’t over.
The organization says it will continue monitoring California to ensure these gains remain in place while pursuing additional litigation aimed at expanding carry rights, including what it describes as “true interstate reciprocity.”
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
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– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
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