DOJ Says Ban on Selling Handguns to Young Adults Under 21 Is Unconstitutional
The Office of Legal Counsel said the ban cannot be criminally enforced against licensed dealers and cited Supreme Court precedent and historical tradition.
- On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Justice Department released an opinion concluding that federal statutes prohibiting licensed dealers from selling handguns to adults aged 18 to 20 are unconstitutional and cannot be criminally enforced.
- The Office of Legal Counsel evaluated the Gun Control Act using the Second Amendment framework established by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen, and Wolford v. Lopez.
- Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser wrote that 18-year-olds are fully part of "the people" covered by constitutional protections, citing early American laws requiring military service and weapon possession starting at age 18.
- Licensed gun dealers cannot face federal criminal prosecution for selling handguns and ammunition to law-abiding adults between the ages of 18 and 20, as the Justice Department determined these statutes violate the Second Amendment.
- The Justice Department clarified that these findings do not affect federal laws prohibiting handgun possession by minors under 18 or other federal background check provisions, maintaining existing regulations for younger individuals.
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13 Articles
DOJ says 18-20-year-olds can't be barred from buying handguns
The Justice Department released a new opinion Friday saying federal laws prohibiting the sale of handguns to adults under age 21 can't be squared with the Constitution and can no longer be enforced.
DOJ says ban on selling handguns to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional
The Justice Department released a new legal opinion that concludes a federal law prohibiting firearms dealers from selling handguns to people between the ages of 18 and 20 is unconstitutional.
Handgun sales ban for adults ages 18-20 violates Second Amendment: DOJ
The Justice Department concluded Friday that the federal government cannot criminally enforce a prohibition on licensed dealers selling handguns to law-abiding adults ages 18-20 because the restriction violates the Second Amendment. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel said in a 49-page opinion that young adults are among the people whose right to keep and bear […]
US DOJ declares ban on handgun sales to young adults unenforceable
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Office of Legal Counsel concluded a federal law prohibiting the sale of handguns to 18 to 20 year olds is unenforceable. A statute enacted as part of the Gun Control Act of 1968 barred federally licensed dealers from selling handguns and ammunition to adults […]
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