Press Release  AG's Office Defends Pennsylvania Law Prohibiting Concealed Carry By Individuals Under 21

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Lara v. Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to revisit an opinion striking down a Pennsylvania law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed weapons in public during a state of emergency. 

In 2025, the Court sided with plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging a Pennsylvania law that generally restricts the issuance of concealed carry weapons to people ages 21 and up and imposes additional restrictions during declared states of emergency. In their brief, the attorneys general ask the Court to revisit that decision.  

In their brief, the coalition explains that the court’s opinion, if not corrected, will raise questions about the constitutionality of similar statutes in more than 30 states with age restrictions on firearms access. The coalition explains that these similar statutes are constitutional because they are consistent with historical tradition, in that states have enacted and enforced similar laws for over 150 years, and states have the authority to protect their communities against gun violence. 

The AGO also joined a coalition in September 2021 to defend the Pennsylvania law in the same case.

This matter is AG Campbell’s latest effort to combat the nationwide gun violence epidemic. In November 2023, AG Campbell launched the Gun Violence Prevention Unit (GVPU), which has leveraged the tools of the AG’s Office to bolster the state’s nation-leading commonsense gun laws. In September 2024, AG Campbell joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting a Florida law that prohibits individuals under 21 from purchasing firearms.

Joining the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. 

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