RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — A federal judge in Virginia, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Payne, has ruled that a law prohibiting licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to individuals aged 18 to 20 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional.

The ruling challenges the existing ban and, if upheld, would permit the sale of handguns to young adults in this age group. Judge Payne’s decision emphasizes that various rights and responsibilities, such as voting, military service, and jury duty, are granted at the age of 18, and excluding this age group from Second Amendment protections would impose limitations that are not applied to other constitutional guarantees.

“If the Court were to exclude 18-to-20-year-olds from the Second Amendment’s protection, it would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees,” Payne wrote.

“Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation’s history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand,” he wrote.