It’s hard to imagine any other Constitutional right being limited like the Second Amendment has been. That, along with the clear violation of the Constitution, is why the NRA petitioned the Supreme Court on May 16 to hear its challenge against Florida’s ban on gun ownership for adults under 21 years of age.
“Americans 18 years of age and older are considered adults who can vote, enter into contracts, marry, and enlist and fight for our country,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “Those same adults are also guaranteed the right to defend themselves through the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The NRA is asking the Supreme Court to take up this critical case to safeguard the Constitutional rights of adults under 21.”
The NRA filed a Petition for Certiorari in NRA v. Glass, a case addressing Florida’s 2018 ban for 18-to-20-year-olds from purchasing any firearm, of any kind, for any purpose. The law was signed by then-Governor Rick Scott following the Parkland shooting. At the time, Scott had an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association.
The NRA filed a lawsuit in 2021, citing its clear violation of the Second Amendment. On March 14, 2025, an en banc Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the purchase ban. There is a split amongst the various circuit courts with conflicting rulings on similar bans in different states, making a case on this subject ripe for the Supreme Court to hear.
As we’ve reported, SCOTUS recently gave an indication on its position when it denied cert in a Minnesota ban on gun ownership for young adults. And in February, Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied Pennsylvania’s petition to rehear a case challenging its ban on 18-to-20-year-olds open carrying during declared states of emergency.
The Tenth Circuit has also upheld laws banning firearm purchases by adults under 21.
In 2022, the Supreme Court penned the landmark NYSRPA v. Bruen decision, which affirms that the state bears the burden of proving any restrictions on Second Amendment freedoms are rooted in the text, history, and tradition of the United States during the founding era, a standard that would be difficult for the Florida ban to comply with.
