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Massachusetts’s highest court will consider whether teens and young adults can legally carry firearms.
John Adams Courthouse is home to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff)
March 2, 2026 | 4:11 PM
2 minutes to read
Four years after a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States expanded gun rights nationwide, Massachusetts is facing a major legal challenge to its firearms regulations — this time over whether people under 21 can legally carry handguns.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments Monday over the state’s law (M.G.L. Chapter 140, Section 131) that limits licenses to carry handguns to those 21 and older, according to The Boston Globe. Gun-rights advocates argue the age restriction violates the Second Amendment, in light of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which strengthened protections for carrying firearms in public.
A ruling against the state would open the door for 18- to 20-year-olds the ability to carry handguns in Massachusetts. Federal law prohibits licensed dealers from selling handguns to anyone under 21, and from selling long guns (rifles and shotguns) to anyone under 18-years-old.
The case before the SJC stems from the arrest of Mikai Thomson, who was 20 in December 2021 when State Police searched his car and said they found a handgun.
Thomson was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm, but he appealed, arguing that the state law barring those under 21 from obtaining a carry license is unconstitutional and that young adults are part of “the People” protected by the Second Amendment, the Globe reported.
Prosecutors in Suffolk County maintain that age limits are lawful and necessary.
“The firearms licensure statute’s prohibition on persons under twenty-one is not a novel or overreaching infringement upon the right to bear arms,” wrote Assistant District Attorney Ian MacLean in a brief to the SJC, according to the Globe. “Instead, it embodies a principle deeply rooted in this Nation’s history: the right to bear arms has always been subject to reasonable regulations where public safety demands it.”
The dispute marks the latest chapter in the state’s long-running debate over firearms policy — among the strictest in the country.
In recent years, state lawmakers have taken steps to strengthen other gun regulations. In 2024, Beacon Hill passed a broad new law targeting “ghost guns,” banning firearms in places like schools and polling locations, and expanding the state’s red flag law.
Those new measures have survived court challenges so far. However, gun-rights supporters gathered enough signatures to put a veto referendum on the 2026 statewide ballot. Voters will decide whether to keep or repeal the 2024 law in the November general election.
We want to know: Should people under 21 be allowed to legally possess handguns in Massachusetts?
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
Should people under 21 be able to carry handguns in Mass.?
Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.
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