sb.scorecardresearch

Updated 05:04 IST, January 31st 2025

US Appeals Court Strikes Down Federal Law Restricting Handgun Sales To Young Adults

A US appeals court has ruled that a federal law requiring individuals to be at least 21 years old to purchase handguns is unconstitutional.

Reported by: Digital Desk
Follow: Google News Icon
  • share
US Appeals Court Strikes Down Federal Law Restricting Handgun Sales To Young Adults
US Appeals Court Strikes Down Federal Law Restricting Handgun Sales To Young Adults | Image: ANI/Twitter

New Orleans: A US appeals court has ruled that a federal law requiring individuals to be at least 21 years old to purchase handguns is unconstitutional. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans found that the law violates the Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms. The ruling, handed down by a panel of three judges on the conservative 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, comes amid major shifts in the national firearm legal landscape following a landmark US Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights in 2022.

The court found that people aged 18-to-20 should not be prohibited from buying guns. The court's ruling states, "Ultimately, the text of the Second Amendment includes eighteen-to-twenty-year-old individuals among the people' whose right to keep and bear arms is protected."

Meanwhile, the latest decision sends the case back to a lower court judge for further review.

Notably, this ruling comes amid major changes in the national firearm legal rules, following a 2022 US Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights. Since then, judges in states like Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas have struck down similar laws, prompting the Biden administration to challenge these rulings.

Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, welcomed the decision, saying, "If we can trust young adults to defend our country, we can certainly trust them to own any and all legal firearms."

However, The Giffords Law Centre called the decision "reckless" and argued that age restrictions help prevent violence. "We hope the current law will be ultimately upheld," said legal director David Pucino.

Currently, federal law requires individuals to be at least 21 years old to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer, while those aged 18 and above can buy long guns from dealers.¹ The ruling's implications on these laws remain to be seen.
 

Published 05:04 IST, January 31st 2025