Federal law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under age 21 is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced, the Justice Department said in a legal opinion released on Friday (September 19, 2026).
Under the federal law, people must be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed federal firearms dealer, though 18- to 20-year-olds can buy handguns from private sellers. There is an 18-year-old minimum for purchases of long guns from licensed dealers. Because of criminal convictions to apply to have their gun rights reinstated, it’s the latest victory for gun rights groups under the second Trump administration, which has rolled back some firearms regulations and created a new pathway for people who’ve been barred from owning firearms.
“The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.
“Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” Assistant Attorney General Elliot Gaiser, who leads the Office of Legal Counsel, said in a statement.
