VICTORY: LA County Reverses Unconstitutional Policy Targeting Religious Services on Public Beaches

The ACLJ has secured another crucial victory in our ongoing battle to protect religious liberty across America. In a clear win against government overreach, Los Angeles County has completely abandoned its unconstitutional policy that specifically targeted and restricted religious gatherings on public beaches.

The Case

Earlier this year, the ACLJ was contacted by Church on the Beach. For 18 years, this ministry has conducted peaceful worship services on Redondo Beach, providing a spiritual community for beachgoers and local residents alike. Approximately 120 people gather every Sunday morning to worship in God’s creation, with many attendees specifically choosing this setting because they have had difficult or negative experiences in traditional church buildings. The beach location isn’t merely a preference – it’s a crucial component of their ministry’s outreach to those who might never step foot in a conventional church. The church has been a model citizen, carefully ensuring their gatherings don’t obstruct pathways, block traffic, or impede emergency vehicles. They’ve even voluntarily relocated during large community events to avoid any potential disruptions.

In late 2024, Los Angeles County implemented a troubling policy that specifically targeted religious activities, limiting religious groups to only six permits per year while imposing no such restrictions on other community gatherings. This blatant religious discrimination threatened the ongoing ministry of Church on the Beach.

On March 6, 2025, the ACLJ sent a demand letter to the County on behalf of Church on the Beach, outlining how the policy violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and demanding that the County cease its discriminatory practices immediately. Our legal team made it clear that government entities cannot single out religious activities for special restrictions that don’t apply to similar secular activities. Government entities cannot – and will not – be permitted to target religious activities with special restrictions while allowing similar secular activities to proceed unhindered. The Constitution demands equal treatment, not government-imposed obstacles to faith-based gatherings. As the Supreme Court has consistently ruled – including in ACLJ-argued cases like Lamb’s Chapel v. Center Moriches School District – the government cannot exclude religious viewpoints from public forums. When a government entity opens a space for public use, it cannot then discriminate against religious groups or religious speech in that space.

The Victory

In a response letter dated March 30, 2025 – just 24 days after our intervention – the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors capitulated: “DBH acknowledges that its Beach and Harbor Use Licensing Policy and other policies pertaining to access to beach use, on its face and in application, must be content neutral and applied in the same manner regardless of the religious or non-religious nature of the activity.”

Most importantly, the County has pledged to “immediately withdraw the temporary policy to limit permits for religious activities” and will now process all permit applications under the same standards – exactly what the Constitution requires. This is not just a victory on paper. This means that Church on the Beach can continue its ministry without facing arbitrary caps on its gatherings that secular groups don’t face. This means believers can worship freely on public beaches without government interference.

Why This Matters

This victory reaffirms a fundamental constitutional principle: The government cannot single out religious expression for unfavorable treatment. Public spaces must remain equally accessible to all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs or practices. This victory represents far more than just one church being able to continue its ministry.

If left unchallenged, Los Angeles County’s discriminatory policy would have set a dangerous precedent, potentially inspiring other local governments to impose similar restrictions on religious activities in public spaces.

Your Support Makes These Victories Possible

The ACLJ continues to fight for religious liberty across the nation, from small towns to major cities. This victory reminds us that when we stand firm and take decisive legal action, we can successfully defend the constitutional rights of believers everywhere.

This case illustrates a disturbing pattern we’re seeing with increasing frequency. Government officials at all levels – federal, state, and local – continue to test the boundaries of their authority by implementing policies that marginalize people of faith and religious organizations.

Whether it’s limiting beach permits in California, denying funding to faith-based schools in the Midwest, or censoring religious speech in public forums across the country, the assaults on religious liberty have become more frequent and brazen.

But the ACLJ refuses to stand idly by. We will continue to fight back against unconstitutional overreach, defending the God-given and constitutionally protected rights of believers everywhere.

We couldn’t continue this vital work without the prayers and financial support of ACLJ members nationwide. Your generosity enables us to take on these crucial religious liberty cases at no cost to the clients we represent. With your continued support, we will keep defending the constitutional right of all Americans to freely express their faith in the public square.