Attorney General Bonta Calls on Court to Uphold Commonsense Firearm Restrictions for People Under Age 21

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general encouraging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, sitting en banc, to affirm a 2021 district court decision rejecting a Second Amendment challenge to a Florida law that prohibits any person under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms and prohibits federally licensed firearms dealers from selling firearms to anyone younger than 21. The brief, filed in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, warns that an opinion of the full court striking down the Florida law could undermine efforts by states to protect their citizens through the application of similar age limitations laws.

“States need the freedom to develop individualized firearms regulations tailored to the specific public safety needs and circumstances in their jurisdictions,” said Attorney General  Bonta. “Many states across the nation, including California, impose some age-based restrictions on the possession, purchase, transfer, or use of firearms, reflecting their collective judgment that such laws promote public safety and curb gun violence within their borders. I stand with Florida and other states dedicated to safeguarding commonsense gun laws.” 

Plaintiffs challenged Florida’s age limit law on the ground that it unduly infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of individuals aged 18 to 20. But the district court rejected that claim in 2021 based on a historical record that provides abundant evidence of a longstanding tradition of limiting access to firearms for those under age 21. In 2023, a three-judge panel for the Eleventh Circuit assessed the challenge under the new legal framework  from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, and affirmed the district court’s decision to uphold Florida’s law. The Second Amendment allows governments to enact sensible and varied regulations designed to protect the public as long as those regulations are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition. 

These efforts continue the ongoing work of Attorney General Bonta to protect the public from gun violence. Recently, the Attorney General launched a first-in-the-nation Office of Gun Violence Prevention, took legal action against ghost gun retailers, advocated for and defended commonsense gun laws, worked on the ground to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals, and announced Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), to strengthen California's existing concealed carry weapon (CCW) laws. California’s Assembly Bill 1594 (AB 1594), which was sponsored by Attorney General Bonta and signed into law in July 2022, creates a pathway for Californians who have been harmed by gun violence to hold the appropriate parties — including gun manufacturers and distributors — accountable. 

Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Illinois, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington in filing this amicus brief. 

A copy of the brief can be found here.