DOJ Sues Glendale Over $2,000 Concealed Carry Permit Fees

The Department of Justice has sued Glendale, California, arguing the city's concealed carry permitting process charges unconstitutional fees and imposes invasive screening that effectively turns a shall-issue system into a may-issue one.

Snapshot

Filed November 9, 2026 in the Central District of California, the suit claims Glendale applicants can pay up to $2,000 for an initial carry license once fingerprinting, training, and a psychological evaluation are added to a $1,078 application fee. The DOJ says the city's fees are the highest in the nation and asks a federal court to strike down the fees, the psych exam, reference checks, social media review, and residency requirement.

Key points

• Costs cited: The DOJ says new applicants pay $1,078 to the city, plus roughly $93 for fingerprinting, $300–$435 for training, and about $500 for a psychological evaluation, totaling near $2,000.
• Renewal burden: Renewals run about $1,300 and licenses last only two years, which the complaint says forces residents to keep paying "every two years indefinitely."
• Legal theory: The government leans on footnote 9 of Bruen, which warned that "exorbitant fees" can turn a shall-issue scheme abusive, and argues Glendale's reference checks, social media review, and psych exam have effectively done that.
• Remedy sought: Beyond a declaratory judgment and injunction, the DOJ wants Glendale to notify everyone it denied under these rules, invite reapplication, and return or destroy psych and social media records collected.
• Pattern of action: This follows the Civil Rights Division's prior actions against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and San Jose over similar fee and psych-testing practices.

Quick take

This case tests how much local governments can charge and demand before a "shall-issue" permit law becomes a "may-issue" one in practice. If the court sides with the DOJ, it could pressure other high-fee jurisdictions to revisit their own licensing costs and screening steps. Glendale has not yet responded in court.

Read the full story: ammoland.com