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NRA Fight for Young Adult Gun Rights Taken to the Supreme Court
Recently, the National Rifle Association (NRA) filed a Petition for Certiorari in the case of NRA v. Glass, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to consider its challenge against Florida’s law prohibiting firearm purchases by individuals aged 18 to 20. To clarify, a Petition for Certiorari is a petition that a higher court, such as the Supreme Court, reviews the decision of a lower court.
Since 2018, Florida has enforced a complete ban on firearm purchases for those in the 18 to 20-year age group. Penalties include up to five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 for violations. The NRA challenged the law in 2021, claiming that this restriction infringes upon their Second Amendment rights. However, on March 14, 2025, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban in a split decision, leading the NRA to seek a Supreme Court review.
John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), stated, “Americans 18 years of age and older are considered adults who can vote, enter into contracts, marry, and enlist and fight for our country. 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.” Commerford emphasized that the NRA is advocating for the rights of adults under 21 in this pivotal case.
The NRA’s petition focuses on “the need for the Supreme Court to review the split among the federal circuit courts over whether adults under 21 have Second Amendment rights.” The Third, Fifth, and Eighth Circuits affirm that these individuals possess such rights, while the Fourth and Ninth Circuits have made similar findings in earlier decisions that were vacated. Conversely, the Tenth and Eleventh Circuits maintain that states can restrict firearm purchases for this age group. This results in a confusing and disorganized legal tradition.
Ultimately, the NRA argues that Florida’s ban contradicts the precedent established in Bruen, which maintains that adults under 21 are included in the protections of the Second Amendment and that the ban lacks historical justification. Now that it’s in the hands of the Supreme Court, they can decide whether to uphold the 11th Circuit or set legal precedent for the entire nation.
The Petition for Certiorari can be found here.
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