Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to uphold a 2021 district court decision that rejected a Second Amendment challenge to a Florida law. This law prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms and restricts federally licensed firearms dealers from selling firearms to anyone younger than 21. The brief, filed in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, cautions that overturning the Florida law could undermine similar age limitation laws in other states.

"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."

The plaintiffs argued that Florida’s age limit law infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of individuals aged 18 to 20. However, the district court dismissed this claim in 2021 based on historical evidence supporting longstanding traditions of limiting firearm access for those under 21. In 2023, a three-judge panel for the Eleventh Circuit reviewed the challenge under a new legal framework established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen and upheld Florida’s law.

Attorney General Bonta's efforts are part of his ongoing work to protect the public from gun violence. Recently, he launched an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, took legal action against ghost gun retailers, advocated for commonsense gun laws, worked to keep firearms out of dangerous hands, and announced Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) to strengthen California's concealed carry weapon (CCW) laws. Assembly Bill 1594 (AB 1594), sponsored by Bonta and signed into law in July 2022, allows Californians harmed by gun violence to hold responsible parties accountable.

Attorney General Bonta is joined by attorneys general from 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.