The Supreme Court won’t revive a Minnesota ban on gun-carry permits for young adults

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Minnesota asking to revive the state's ban on gun-carry permits for young adults.

The justices also left in place a ban on guns at the University of Michigan, declining to hear an appeal from a man who argued he has a right to be armed on campus. No justice noted a dissent in either case.

Taken together, the actions reflect the high court's apparent lack of appetite for cases that further explore the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms.”

The court has repeatedly turned away gun cases since its 2022 ruling that expanded gun rights and a clarifying 2024 decision that upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence.

The decision not to hear the Minnesota case was somewhat surprising because both sides sought the Supreme Court’s review, and courts around the country have come to different conclusions about whether states can limit the gun rights of people aged 18 to 20 without violating the Constitution.

The federal appeals court in St. Louis ruled that the Minnesota ban conflicted with the Second Amendment, which the court noted sets no age limit and generally protects ordinary, law-abiding young adults.

In January, the federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down a federal law requiring young adults to be 21 to buy handguns.

In February, a federal judge declined to block Hawaii's ban on gun possession for people under 21.

In a statement Monday, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Chair Bryan Strawser called the court’s decision “a resounding victory for 18-20-year-old adults who wish to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.”

“Politicians should carefully consider the legal ramifications of infringing on Second Amendment rights,” Rob Doar, the group’s senior vice president and political director, said in the statement.

MPR News contributed to this report.