The state of Alabama is weighing in on a legal battle over San Diego County, Calif.'s restrictive laws on carrying concealed handguns.

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange filed an amicus brief on behalf of the state challenging the handgun ownership restrictions of San Diego County, which effectively bar the possession of a handgun outside the home, the Attorney General's Office stated in a release today.

Twenty other states joined Alabama in filing the legal documents on April 30, 2015 in the case of Peruta v County of San Diego before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

"San Diego's gun ownership laws effectively prohibit both open carry and concealed carry, denying its citizens their Second Amendment right to bear arms and depriving their ability to defend themselves outside the home," Strange stated. "It is important that states, including Alabama, which adhere to the strict preservation of the Second Amendment, speak out whenever and wherever the right to bear arms is under assault."

A recent report from The San Diego Union-Tribune stated a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit federal appeals court ruled in February 2014 that San Diego County's concealed gun-carrying policies were "too restrictive and unconstitutional."

California Attorney General Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are now seeking an appeal.

Alabama's amicus brief states "San Diego County sheriff's prohibition on the possession of a handgun outside the home, with limited exceptions, makes it impossible for citizens to use them for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional.

"The sheriff's department admits that, under this system, the typical person cannot qualify for a concealed carry permit for personal protection," the brief states. "In fact, an applicant must specifically demonstrate 'a set of circumstances that distinguish the applicant from the mainstream and causes him or her to be placed in harm's way. Simply fearing for one's personal safety alone is not considered good cause.'"

The brief says under San Diego County's gun restrictions "bearing arms in self-defense is not a right, but a privilege granted by the government to those it deems most in danger from a specific, previously documented threat."

Alabama was joined in the amicus brief by Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.