Federal Lawsuit Challenges Pennsylvania's Age-21 Minimum for Carry License Applications

USA Carry reports that Firearms Policy Coalition and the National Rifle Association have sued in federal court over a Pennsylvania law that keeps 18-to-20-year-olds from applying for a carry license.

Key points

• The case: Filed Oct. 29 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Maines v. Bethel is brought against Philadelphia's police commissioner, Kevin Bethel, and Lt. Col. George L. Bivens, the State Police's acting commissioner.
• The plaintiff: A Philadelphia resident under 21 with no criminal record joined the two groups, which sue for their members in that age range. The complaint says he qualifies in every way except age.
• Practical effect: The complaint says unlicensed adults under 21 cannot carry at all in Philadelphia, generally cannot carry in a vehicle, and get no exception for the 1,000-foot zones around Pennsylvania's more than 2,900 schools. It adds that unlicensed concealed or vehicle carry is a third-degree felony that can bring up to seven years in prison.
• Legal basis: The plaintiffs rely on Lara, a 2025 Third Circuit ruling treating 18-to-20-year-olds as presumptively covered by the Second Amendment, which the Supreme Court declined to review on June 30, 2026.
• The request: A ruling that the age limit is unconstitutional and a permanent injunction against enforcing it.

Quick take

USA Carry stresses that these are allegations the court has not ruled on and that the defendants will get a chance to respond. The outlet's own view is that Lara already settled much of the question.

Read the full story at USA Carry.