The Justice Department plans to sue the city of Glendale, California, over its unconstitutional concealed-carry permit fees.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon gave Glendale until November 4 to indicate whether it will negotiate a settlement.
Dhillon announced the action in a post on X in which she argued that the city “cannot impose unconstitutional $2,000 costs to obtain a concealed carry permit for lawful firearms.”
The City of Glendale, California, cannot impose unconstitutional $2,000 costs to obtain a concealed carry permit for lawful firearms. We @CivilRights gave them one week to fix it. Tick tock! https://t.co/xXFyHeerCv
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) October 28, 2026
Dhillon’s office sent a letter to the mayor of Glendale noting that it “recently increased the initial application fee for a license to carry a firearm (“CCW” license) from $100 to $1,078.”
The fee for renewal CCW applications was increased from $50 to $826. When all fees and costs are aggregated, an initial license costs approximately $2,000, and a renewal license costs approximately $1,300. This is one of the most expensive CCW application schemes in the nation.
The letter further stated that “the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is among those fundamental rights necessary to the American system of ordered liberty” and that the Second Amendment exists “to prevent law enforcement agencies from enforcing regulations that prevent ordinary citizens from carrying firearms in public for self-defense while they go about their daily lives.”
Dhillon pointed out that the Supreme Court’s ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen noted that “governments may implement shall-issue CCW licensing regimes so long as those licensing regimes are not ‘put toward abusive ends’ by, for example, imposing ‘exorbitant fees [that] deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry.”
Glendale's law enforcement officers are required to enforce this abusive licensing scheme, and they are doing so. This letter is to inform you that as the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, I have authorized the filing of a complaint in federal district court against the City. The complaint will allege that the City's abusive CCW application scheme denies ordinary citizens their Second Amendment right to public carry, and Glendale Police Department's implementation of the City's abusive police is a pattern or practice of law enforcement misconduct that is unlawful pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601. See United States v. Cnty. of Maricopa, 889 F.3d 648, 653 (9th Cir. 2018) (law enforcement officers' enforcement of unconstitutional municipal policy violates Section 12601).
Glendale has not publicly responded to the letter as of Thursday morning. It is one of several cities that sought to make it harder for people to carry firearms by jacking up the price to obtain a permit after the Bruen ruling. Dhillon’s office has also targeted San Jose, California, over its excessive licensing scheme.
The cities pushing these anti-gunner methods likely know the rules they impose won’t stand because of the Supreme Court’s precedents. It seems they are trying to push whatever gun restrictions they can think of to infringe on people’s rights as long as they can before the courts eventually strike down the rules.
But it’s also worth noting how easily leftists will throw poor people under the bus when it suits their agenda. Glendale’s leaders know most people can’t afford $2,000 just to get a concealed carry permit. This means only wealthier residents can exercise their right to keep and bear arms, while those on the lower rungs can’t legally defend themselves.
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