Politics
NRA Sues Philadelphia Over Handgun Carry Age Limit for Young Adults
The National Rifle Association filed a federal lawsuit against Philadelphia on Tuesday, arguing that Pennsylvania's minimum age of 21 for a license to carry a firearm in public violates the Second Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-olds and leaves them 'defenseless.'
The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia on Tuesday, challenging Pennsylvania's requirement that residents be at least 21 years old to obtain a license to carry a firearm in public. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, argues that the age restriction violates the Second Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-olds and leaves them unable to defend themselves outside the home.
In Philadelphia, a license to carry is required for anyone who wishes to carry a firearm openly or concealed on public streets. State law sets the minimum age for that license at 21, even though federal law allows adults as young as 18 to purchase handguns from licensed dealers. The NRA's complaint contends that this gap renders young adults "defenseless" and asks the court to block the city from enforcing the age limit against otherwise qualified 18-to-20-year-old applicants.
The lawsuit names the city and its police commissioner as defendants. It arrives amid a broader national push by gun-rights groups to dismantle age-based firearm restrictions following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which established a new standard for evaluating gun laws. Several federal appellate courts have since struck down similar age limits for carrying firearms, though the legal landscape remains unsettled.
Philadelphia officials have not yet filed a response to the complaint. The city has long defended its gun regulations as essential to public safety in a municipality that has struggled with high rates of gun violence. Advocates for stricter gun laws argue that allowing more young adults to carry firearms in public would increase the risk of violence, particularly in densely populated neighborhoods.
The case is expected to draw attention from both sides of the gun debate and could have implications for how Pennsylvania's carry laws are applied statewide. A ruling in favor of the NRA would not automatically change the law everywhere, but it would force Philadelphia to issue carry licenses to qualified applicants between 18 and 20 years old.
No hearing date has been scheduled.