DOJ Investigates NJ Township for Gun Permit Delays
Justice Department probes Pennsauken over alleged unconstitutional gun permit delays.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into Pennsauken, New Jersey, over alleged unconstitutional delays in issuing firearm licenses. According to a DOJ news release, the agency is examining whether the township’s permitting process unfairly burdens residents’ Second Amendment rights.
The focus of the investigation is on the Pennsauken Township Police Department’s firearm licensing system. The DOJ stated that the process “deprives citizens of their right to bear arms through egregious and unjust delays in issuing firearm licenses.” The agency emphasized that such delays are a violation of the Second Amendment, citing the 2022 Supreme Court decision New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, which holds that lengthy wait times or excessive fees in licensing processes deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry.
Applicants for concealed carry permits in Pennsauken face significant hurdles, including providing four references, an address history for the past 10 years, and fingerprints. These requirements, the DOJ argued, place an undue burden on the right to self-defense, a right explicitly protected by the Constitution.
Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon echoed the DOJ’s concerns on X, stating that her office is investigating whether Pennsauken is preventing residents from timely obtaining purchase permits to legally acquire firearms. She emphasized, “The right to bear arms is protected by the Constitution for every American — it is not a second-class right!”
The @CivilRights Division is investigating whether Pennsauken, NJ, is preventing residents from timely obtaining purchase permits to legally acquire firearms. The right to bear arms is protected by the Constitution for every American—it is not a second-class right!
Pennsauken, located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, has faced its own share of crime challenges. While Philadelphia was ranked 8th in the country for crime in 2025, the specific situation in Pennsauken is not the central issue. The DOJ’s focus remains on the constitutional rights of citizens, regardless of the local crime rate.
Advocates argue that the right to bear arms should not be contingent on the safety of one’s community. “These are rights upon which government cannot infringe,” they assert. The DOJ’s stance is clear: the process for obtaining a firearm permit should be streamlined to ensure that citizens can exercise their constitutional rights without unnecessary obstacles.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
