Key facts
- The Supreme Court declined to review cases challenging federal and Florida state laws restricting firearm purchases for individuals aged 18-20.
- The court also rejected an appeal from Pennsylvania regarding laws that ban 18-20 year olds from carrying firearms during a state of emergency.
- Lower courts have issued conflicting rulings on the constitutionality of age-based firearm restrictions.
- The Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision established a historical tradition test for gun regulations.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider the legality of laws restricting firearm purchases and possession for individuals aged 18 to 20, a key area of contention following its expansion of gun rights. The justices turned away appeals challenging a federal ban on handgun purchases for those aged 18-20, as well as a similar Florida law covering all firearms. Lower courts had previously issued split decisions on the constitutionality of these restrictions.
However, the Supreme Court allowed a lower court ruling to stand that struck down Pennsylvania's laws banning 18-20 year olds from carrying firearms in public during a declared state of emergency. This decision leaves in place a ruling that found such restrictions violated the Second Amendment.
Since the Supreme Court's landmark 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, which recognized a right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense and established a historical tradition test for gun regulations, gun rights advocates have prioritized challenges to age-based firearm restrictions. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, for instance, upheld federal restrictions, citing historical precedent, while the 5th Circuit ruled against them. Other circuit courts have also seen conflicting decisions on state-level age minimums.
The Supreme Court's actions come amid a deeply divided national debate on gun violence, with the court having previously expanded Second Amendment rights in 2008, 2010, and most recently in 2022.