A federal appeals court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ruled on Thursday that the law mandating individuals to be 21 years old to purchase handguns violates the Second Amendment.
This decision was made by a three-judge panel from the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, reflecting significant changes in gun legislation following a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling that broadened gun rights in 2022.
The court stated that individuals aged 18 to 20 should not face restrictions when it comes to purchasing firearms.
“The text of the Second Amendment encompasses eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds among ‘the people’ whose right to keep and bear arms is protected,” the ruling articulated. The case will be sent back to a lower court for further consideration.
Previous decisions from the appeals court had upheld this age requirement. However, recent rulings from various states, including Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas, have overturned similar laws, influenced by the Supreme Court’s directive emphasizing that firearm regulations must be grounded in the country’s historical context.
The Biden administration has been actively opposing these judicial outcomes, but there is ambiguity regarding the stance of the Trump administration on this issue. During a campaign event last year with the National Rifle Association, Trump assured attendees that their firearms rights would remain intact.
In another measure, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal law last year, reversing a decision made by the 5th Circuit that would have impacted protections for victims of domestic violence related to firearms.
The challenge to the handgun purchase ban involved groups like the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Louisiana Shooting Association. Alan Gottlieb, who founded the Second Amendment Foundation, pointed out, “If we can trust young adults to defend our country, then we can certainly trust them to possess any and all legal firearms.”
Currently, federal regulations stipulate that individuals must be 21 years old to acquire a handgun from a licensed dealer, while the minimum age for purchasing a long gun is set at 18.
Research from Everytown for Gun Safety indicates that there are no minimum age restrictions for long guns purchased from unlicensed sellers.
The Giffords Law Center condemned the court’s decision as reckless, arguing that age restrictions play a crucial role in preventing violent incidents. Legal director David Pucino expressed a desire for the existing laws to ultimately remain in effect.
