A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down Maryland’s handgun licensing law, finding that its requirements, which include submitting fingerprints for a background check and taking a four-hour firearms safety course, are unconstitutionally restrictive.

In a 2-1 ruling, judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said they considered the case in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that “effected a sea change in Second Amendment law.”

The underlying lawsuit was filed in 2016 as a challenge to a Maryland law requiring people to obtain a special license before purchasing a handgun. The law, which was passed in 2013 in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, laid out a series of necessary steps for would-be gun purchasers: completing four hours of safety training that includes firing one live round, submitting fingerprints and passing a background check, being 21 and residing in Maryland.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said he was disappointed in the circuit court’s ruling and will “continue to fight for this law.” He said his administration is reviewing the ruling and considering its options.

  • SeaJ
    link
    fedilink
    -31 year ago

    Seriously. People had to register their guns since the country was founded. There were also safe storage laws and bans on concealed and open carry.

    • @FireTower@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      8
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Source? Pre '64 there wasn’t even mandated serialization of commerical sold firearms so a registration system would have been difficult to implement.

        • @karakoram@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          41 year ago

          Did you actually read your “source”? The article claims a lot but offers no substantiation to many of the claims.

        • @FireTower@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          4
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          That law is about ensuring the militia’s guns were of adequate quality to fight. If they came to your house and found you didn’t have a good fighting gun at hand you’d get in trouble. I’m not sure that’s the parallel you want it to be.

        • Cethin
          link
          fedilink
          English
          -11 year ago

          And after we moved away from militias, people stopped acting like the 2nd amendment applies to anything, right? If a militia isn’t required anymore, the basis for the 2nd amendment is gone, so it doesn’t apply.

          I wish logic was used by people more often…