admin
The Department of Justice has stepped into a local mess and, frankly, it’s about time. This week the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit against the City of San José and the San José Police Department over a concealed‑carry licensing scheme that slams residents with a $1,591 application fee and forces costly psychological testing. That price tag isn’t an accident — it’s a policy designed to gatekeep a constitutional right.
DOJ sues San José over $1,591 concealed‑carry fee
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon announced the federal complaint, saying the fee and related rules place unconstitutional burdens on the right to bear arms. The DOJ argues that San José’s policy goes far beyond reasonable administrative costs and effectively makes public carry a privilege for the wealthy. The complaint asks a federal court to block the practice, using the Civil Rights Division’s enforcement powers to protect a basic constitutional right.
A costly roadblock: fees, testing, and hidden charges
Let’s do the math so no one claims the price is a misunderstanding. The city’s $1,591 application fee is the headline. Add training courses that run $300 to $500, a psychological exam the city requires (about $400), state fees and fingerprinting, and you are looking at roughly $2,500 to exercise a right. That is not a transcription error. That is a deliberate policy choice to make carrying a weapon in public too expensive for most Americans.
San José stands out — and not in a good way
San José isn’t keeping company with other nearby jurisdictions; it’s trying to lead the pack in pricing out citizens. San Francisco and Berkeley charge a fraction of that amount. The DOJ calls San José a “national outlier,” and that description is fair. Whether framed as a fee schedule or a clever work‑around, the effect is the same: the city is outsourcing Second Amendment gatekeeping to whoever can afford the bill.
What to watch next: litigation and principle
This lawsuit isn’t just about one fee. It’s about whether constitutional rights are available to everyone or only to those with means. Expect San José to respond and the court to move on injunctive relief quickly — the DOJ asked for the practice to be stopped. This case also fits a pattern: the federal government has been active in policing overly burdensome local carry restrictions. If you care about the rule of law and equal access to rights, pay attention — the outcome will matter far beyond city limits.
