In a quiet but important move, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up Minnesota’s request to revive its ban on concealed carry permits for young adults under 21.
That means a lower court’s ruling—striking down the age-based restriction as unconstitutional—stands.
The case, Worth v. Jacobson, was brought by a coalition of young adults and major gun rights groups, including the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. They challenged a Minnesota law that prohibited otherwise law-abiding adults aged 18 to 20 from carrying firearms for self-defense in public.
In its ruling, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the age restriction conflicted with the Second Amendment. The court noted that the Constitution doesn’t carve out exceptions based on age for the right to “keep and bear arms.”
In other words, if you’re old enough to vote, serve in the military, and sign contracts, you’re old enough to carry a gun.
Both Minnesota and the plaintiffs had asked the Supreme Court to weigh in, especially since other courts across the country have ruled differently. For example, a federal court in Hawaii upheld a similar age-based ban, and the Fifth Circuit struck down the federal law that blocks handgun purchases by those under 21.
Despite the split, the justices declined to take the case—without explanation and with no noted dissents.
Legal experts say this signals that, for now, the Supreme Court is not eager to dive back into Second Amendment battles after recent landmark decisions like New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) and United States v. Rahimi (2024).
Pro-gun advocates still see this as a win. “The Supreme Court didn’t need to take this case because the Constitution is clear,” said observers. “If you’re 18 and can be sent to war, you should be trusted to defend yourself here at home.”
The Minnesota ban had been defended using shaky historical arguments, some tracing back to racist Reconstruction-era gun laws—something the federal appeals court didn’t buy. Judges pressed state lawyers on whether any other constitutional rights disappear until you turn 21. As one judge asked, “Does a 20-year-old not have the right to remain silent during a traffic stop?”
With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, the Eighth Circuit’s decision stands. That leaves young adults in Minnesota now able to apply for carry permits—just like their peers in other parts of the country.
While this ruling technically applies only to Minnesota, the message is clear: the tide is turning against arbitrary age-based restrictions on gun rights.
And for the many 18- to 20-year-olds who’ve been treated like second-class citizens when it comes to the Second Amendment, it’s about time.
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