The US Justice Department has sued Glendale, California, over the city’s concealed-carry licensing system, challenging both its sharply increased fees and screening procedures that the government says lack objective standards.
The complaint filed on 9 November says a first application now costs between $1,971 and $2,106, while a renewal every two years costs between $1,271 and $1,406. The department contrasts those figures with the previous fiscal year, when the city charged $100 for an initial application and $25 for renewal.
Glendale also requires reference interviews, a psychological examination, an applicant interview and review of public statements, including social-media posts. The government alleges that the city has not published narrow, objective criteria for those checks and that the combined regime burdens the right recognised in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen.
The action is a constitutional challenge, not a ruling on the validity of Glendale’s system. The city will have an opportunity to answer the allegations, and no court has yet granted the requested relief.
Read the Justice Department announcement and complaint
