DOJ won't enforce handgun ban for 18- to 20-year-olds
The Justice Department said Friday it will not criminally enforce a 1968 federal law barring licensed gun dealers from selling handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds, after its Office of Legal Counsel concluded the restriction violated the Second Amendment. Why it matters: The Trump administration is telling federal prosecutors not to enforce a law passed by Congress, even though the Supreme Court has…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it will not enforce a 1968 federal law that bans licensed gun dealers from selling handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds, after its Office of Legal Counsel concluded the restriction violates the Second Amendment. This decision, signed by Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser, is intended to give adults under the age of 21 access to the country's licensed handgun market.
However, it remains unclear whether dealers will begin selling to them immediately, as the DOJ has not yet responded to requests for comment. Gun-safety advocacy groups, such as Giffords and Brady, have criticized the move, stating it is "illegal and dangerous" and misrepresents the nation's history of gun regulation. The DOJ's decision is based on the 2022 Supreme Court case Bruen, which upended how courts judge gun restrictions by requiring regulations to be consistent with the country's historical tradition of firearm regulation.
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