No BS, our Los Angeles Sheriff Villanueva has turned out to be a stand up guy and has reformed the CCW process to allow "regular" people to be approved (not just campaign contributors and celebrities like in the past).

You still have to jump though some hoops but the change of attitude and approval rate is astonishing. This video (not me) has pretty well distilled the current situation and has great intel in the links:

I wouldn't call him a stand-up guy, and he seems to have some of the issues Baca had in a number of areas, but he did finally ease up on this at least.

I want to apply, but I have a feeling I would be rejected since I don't have a perfectly-clean background.  Even some of the counties that issue for self-defense will reject applicants with arrests, or even tickets, in their background, for "moral character" reasons.  I do have a job that requires me at times to go into bad areas (and I have been threatened once; very recently, actually) and also go into rural and remote areas for shooting and recreation, as well as travel through remote areas, a decent amount throughout the year, so I'd have a bit more than just "self-defense" to put on a good cause statement.

I may do a consult with a lawyer specializing in CCW applications and other related issues and see what I can do and if it's even worthwhile.  More data on rejections and issuances may be required before good advice can be given, though.  I might also want to see if I can get notice of an impending denial so I can withdraw my application and avoid a denial on my record, which I understand can pose an issue if you want to try again (it seems like it often counts against the applicant).

From what I understand, business owners or people who have some kind of at least slightly heightened risk due to business activity seem to be a priority for issuance.  Generally, something more substantial than in the more liberal counties with respect to issuance is required for good cause, but until recently, the good cause statement required some pretty extraordinary stuff for folks to have a chance.  Very few people got permits from LASD unless they were a cop, a prosecutor, a retired cop, a Fed, a judge, or had some affiliation with LE, and under Baca, unless they were his buddies or campaign donors.  Even celebrities and the wealthy in general rarely got permits.  Even including those groups, issuance rates were very low.

I'm torn.  I live part time up north and part time down south.  I have a permit from up north.  I'd like to renew it down here, but fear L.A. County will just do like Orange County and pull them all later.

Permits are valid statewide, so if you can keep getting yours up north, I'd just stick with that.  

Limitations on validity only apply to open carry permits and I believe also to non-resident concealed carry permits.

Correct

This is only big news for long suffering LA residents that previously were unable to get a CCW without being politically connected and wealthy. The new system is not perfect, but they ARE issuing to those with clean records and an ability to articulate a reasonable good cause.

We cant let perfect be the enemy of good. This is a major sea change and ironically this is coming from the first democrat sheriff in (I think) 80 years. The previous republican sheriffs were all 100% against giving CCWs to citizens.

Sheriff Villanueva will be the first Democrat I'll vote/contribute/yard sign/word of mouth support in my adult lifetime. Up is down these days..

Fundamentally, the only legitimate reason to carry a weapon, any weapon, is for self defense.

To deny someone saying self defense is not adequate cause, is inherently corrupt.