The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Monday in a closely watched challenge to the state's ban on issuing handgun licenses to people under 21. The ruling will determine whether 18 to 20 year olds count as part of "the people" protected by the Second Amendment, a decision that could ripple through prosecutions and licensing practices across the Commonwealth.
The case centers on Mikai Thomson, who was 20 when troopers say they searched his car on Blue Hill Avenue in December 2021 and found a 9mm pistol. He was later convicted on firearm charges and appealed, arguing the law itself is unconstitutional. Thomson's attorney claims the under-21 licensing bar violates the Second Amendment, while prosecutors counter that age limits are longstanding public-safety tools. Oral arguments were held Monday and a decision could take months, according to The Boston Globe.
The legal fight plays out in the shadow of New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen, the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that told judges to test modern gun regulations against the nation's historical traditions of firearm rules. SCOTUSblog notes that Bruen reshaped the standard for Second Amendment cases and has helped fuel similar challenges in courts nationwide.
Separately, gun-rights advocates have mounted a federal lawsuit attacking parts of the Beacon Hill gun law package that restrict handgun access for 18 to 20 year olds. That effort has drawn support from organizations including the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation. WBUR reported on the federal challenge and the mix of groups and plaintiffs backing it.
What's at stake
If the SJC strikes down the under-21 restriction, past convictions could be revisited and local licensing authorities would have to overhaul the rules they use to vet applicants. Supporters of stricter gun regulations warn that loosening the age limit could weaken safeguards they credit with helping keep Massachusetts among the states with the lowest gun-death rates, based on data from the Pew Research Center.
Prosecutors urged the court to see the measure as a routine public-safety protection rather than an overreach. "The firearms licensure statute's prohibition on persons under twenty-one is not a novel or overreaching infringement upon the right to bear arms," Assistant District Attorney Ian MacLean wrote, according to The Boston Globe.
What happens next
The SJC has taken the appeal under advisement, and it typically takes weeks or even months for the justices to issue a written opinion after arguments. Whatever the court decides could face further challenges in federal court and might ultimately draw the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. Opponents of the Beacon Hill law have also secured a repeal question for the 2026 ballot, creating a political fallback that could preserve or dismantle parts of the statute regardless of how the courts rule, according to CommonWealth Beacon.
For now, Massachusetts' tight handgun licensing rules stay in place while judges sort through the constitutional claims. Young adults, prosecutors and gun-policy advocates will be watching closely, since the ruling could reset where the state draws the line between public safety and gun rights.
