Ban on selling handguns to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional, Justice Department says
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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78 Articles
The Daily Caller
Bizpac ReviewHere’s Why It May Take Months For DOJ’s Latest Memo To Benefit 18-Year-Old Gun Owners
A top official with a pro-Second Amendment group told the DCNF it may take time for gun owners to benefit from a Justice Department memo.
Here’s why it may take months for DOJ’s latest memo to benefit 18-year-old gun owners - The Daily Bo Snerdley
A top official with a pro-Second Amendment group told the Daily Caller News Foundation that gun owners may take time to benefit from a Justice Department (DOJ) memo finding that a nearly-60-year-old gun law prohibiting handgun sales to adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment. The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a memo Thursday declaring that the federal law prohibiting handgun sales to 18-20-year-old adults was unconstitutional …
Justice Department finds handgun sales ban for adults under
The Justice Department has concluded that barring licensed dealers from selling handguns to adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment, sharpening a divided legal fight. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel released its opinion Friday. It covers both handguns and handgun ammunition sold to adults ages 18 to 20 by federally licensed dealers. The opinion […]
NEWS HEADLINES: DOJ finds the federal restriction on 18-20-year-olds buying firearms unconstitutional – One America News Network
(Background) Smith & Wesson M&P Shield M2.0 semi-automatic pistols are displayed for sale in a gun store in Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona on September 17, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) / (R) Department of Justice logo (via: justice.gov) OAN Staff Katherine Mosack9:57 AM – Saturday, September 19, 2026 The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Office of Legal Counsel has determined that prohibiting licensed dealers …
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