DOJ Sues Glendale Over $1,078 Carry Permit Fees, Psych Exams

The Justice Department has sued Glendale, California, arguing that the city's concealed-carry permit process charges applicants roughly $1,078 in fees and layers on a psychological exam, reference checks, and social media reviews that together turn a shall-issue system into a de facto may-issue one.

Snapshot

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division, under Acting Assistant Attorney General Jesus Osete, filed the complaint against Glendale and its police department, alleging a pattern and practice of denying residents their Second Amendment rights. The lawsuit centers on permit fees and a mandatory psychological evaluation the city imposes even on renewal applicants, which DOJ says goes beyond what state law allows.

Key points

• Fee at issue: Glendale charges applicants roughly $1,078, which DOJ cites as the core financial barrier in the suit.
• Psych exam scrutiny: Glendale PD policy requires psychological testing for all applicants, including renewals, which DOJ says conflicts with California law limiting renewal testing to cases with "compelling evidence of a public safety concern."
• Added hurdles: Three reference checks, social media review, and a residency requirement round out the policies DOJ calls unconstitutional.
• Legal backdrop: Bearing Arms notes a federal judge recently dismissed a similar DOJ pattern-and-practice suit against Montgomery County, Maryland, raising questions about whether DOJ can sustain this kind of claim against a city.

Quick take

Bearing Arms argues the psych evaluation and related steps aren't just costly but represent "open-ended discretion" that shouldn't exist in a shall-issue state, regardless of price tag. Whether DOJ's legal theory survives a motion to dismiss may hinge on the same jurisdictional questions that sank the Montgomery County case.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com