On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Minnesota’s appeal to reinstate a state law that barred individuals under 21 from obtaining permits to carry handguns in public. This decision upholds a 2024 ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which found the age-based restriction unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.
The lower court’s decision emphasized that the Second Amendment does not impose an age limit and protects law-abiding young adults’ right to bear arms. Gun rights organizations, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and the Second Amendment Foundation, challenged Minnesota’s law, arguing that it infringed upon the constitutional rights of adults aged 18 to 20.
By declining to hear the case, the Supreme Court allows the lower court’s ruling to stand, effectively affirming that age-based restrictions on carrying firearms in public for individuals aged 18 to 20 are unconstitutional. This decision is seen as a significant victory for gun rights advocates and may influence similar legal challenges in other states.
The ruling aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which expanded gun rights by requiring laws to align with historical firearm regulations. It underscores the judiciary’s ongoing interpretation of the Second Amendment in the context of modern firearm legislation.
As debates over gun rights and regulations continue, this decision highlights the judiciary’s role in interpreting the scope of constitutional protections and may prompt further legal challenges to age-based firearm restrictions across the United States.
