Washington, D.C. – Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), joined by a coalition of allied organizations, have filed a critical amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up NRA v. Glass and strike down Florida’s unconstitutional ban on gun purchases by law-abiding 18-to-20-year-old adults.

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals previously upheld the Florida statute, which criminalizes firearm purchases by adults under 21—even though they are legal adults under both federal and state law, eligible to vote, serve in the military, and fully bound by the law. GOA’s brief argues that the Eleventh’s Circuit’s ruling is flatly inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision and relies on irrelevant historical analogies that the Court has already rejected.

GOA’s amicus filing also emphasizes that the right to keep and bear arms necessarily includes the right to acquire them; and that there was no historical tradition at the time of the Founding that justifies disarming young adults. In fact, 18-year-olds were expected to arm themselves and serve in the militia.

Sam Paredes, Executive Director of Gun Owners of California and on behalf of Gun Owners Foundation, issued the following statement:

“This case is about restoring the rights of young Americans who have been treated as second-class citizens. These are legal adults who can be drafted, who can serve in the armed forces, and who are held fully responsible under the law—but Florida says they cannot legally purchase a firearm for self-defense. That’s not just unconstitutional; it’s offensive. We urge the Supreme Court to grant certiorari and reverse this dangerous precedent.”

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:

“The Eleventh Circuit’s ruling in this case is a direct threat to the Second Amendment rights of millions of young adults. If allowed to stand, it will invite every anti-gun legislature in the country to attack enumerated freedoms under the guise of ‘public safety.’ The Constitution doesn’t have an age limit, and the Court’s own Bruen decision makes clear that states can’t invent modern bans out of thin air. The Supreme Court needs to intervene.”

Luis Valdes, Florida State Director for Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:

“This law has been a slap in the face to responsible young Floridians for far too long. In court, the state of Florida argued that adults under 21 lack the mental faculties to own or possess firearms—but somehow a 19-year-old can still become a police officer and enforce those very laws. That kind of hypocrisy exposes the weakness of their argument. These are legal adults who deserve the full protection of the Constitution, and GOA is proud to support this challenge all the way to the Supreme Court.”

GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization representing over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.