Attorney General Anne Lopez today announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi has upheld Hawaiʻi laws establishing 21 as the minimum age to acquire and own firearms, rejecting a Second Amendment challenge brought by an individual plaintiff, two firearms dealers and the Second Amendment Foundation.
The court granted the state’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that Hawaiʻi’s age restriction is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. As the court’s opinion explains, around the time the Second Amendment was adopted, those under the age of 21 were considered minors and were restricted from purchasing almost all consumer goods, including firearms. Now for over 150 years, states have enacted statutes setting 21 as the minimum age for an individual to obtain a fire
