Owning Guns

Educational information, not legal advice. Gun laws change often and vary by state, county and city. Check current law where you are and talk to a firearms attorney before acting. Full disclaimer

Last reviewed October 31, 2026

Owning Guns: Where It Stands in 2026

The Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, and the Supreme Court has spent the last four years making that clearer. Since New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen (June 23, 2022), any gun law must fit the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. That standard has reshaped what governments can demand of ordinary owners, but day-to-day ownership is still governed by a patchwork of federal, state and local rules.

2026 has been a strong year for owners at the federal level. In U.S. v. Hemani (June 18, 2026), a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) could not be used against a marijuana user solely for having a gun and a drug at the same time. The Justice Department relaunched the long-dormant 18 U.S.C. 925(c) firearm rights restoration program with a final rule published in August 2026. ATF proposed rolling back the brace, “engaged in the business” and indefinite record-retention rules, and in October 2026 it stopped enforcing NFA registration for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs.

Owners still have to check state law. Twenty-nine states now allow permitless carry, but others keep adding mandatory storage, red flag and permit-to-purchase requirements. The guides below cover each part of responsible, lawful ownership.

Owning Guns Guide

Firearm Safety: the universal rules of safe handling and where to train.
Guns & Kids: child access laws, age limits and youth shooting education.
Gun Storage: state storage mandates, vehicles and travel.
Red Flag Laws: which states allow ex parte gun seizures and how due process applies.
Mental Health and Gun Ownership: what triggers a federal prohibition and how rights can be restored.
Firearm Deaths: what the CDC numbers actually show.
2A Doctors: physicians who defend gun owners, and CDC research funding.
Firearm Insurance: protecting a collection and self-defense liability coverage.

Key Facts

June 23, 2022: Bruen established the text, history and tradition test for gun laws.
June 21, 2024: U.S. v. Rahimi upheld 922(g)(8), the federal ban for people under certain domestic violence restraining orders.
June 18, 2026: U.S. v. Hemani (9-0) limited 922(g)(3) as applied to a marijuana user.
June 30, 2026: the Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to the federal ban on 18-to-20-year-olds buying handguns from dealers. The Fourth Circuit upheld the ban; the Fifth Circuit struck it down in Reese v. ATF (2025) for Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
August 2026: DOJ published a final rule relaunching 925(c) rights restoration through the Office of the Pardon Attorney ($30 application fee; public applications begin November 4, 2026).
As of 2026, 29 states have permitless (constitutional) carry; the most recent were Louisiana and South Carolina in 2024.

What Gun Owners Should Know

Federal law sets the floor; state and local law often add more. Verify the rules where you live and wherever you travel.
Keep receipts, serial numbers and photos of every firearm for insurance, theft reports and proof of lawful acquisition.
Answer every Form 4473 question truthfully; a false answer is a federal felony regardless of the outcome of the sale.
Get quality training. Course options and instructor resources are at After Action.net.
Follow upcoming dates and court rulings at Gun Calendars.com and on the Court Cases page, and submit specific questions to Ask Gun Questions.com.

Sources

Background and Resources

2A Doctors / CDC
Suicide & Mental Health
Red Flag Laws
Firearm Deaths
Kids & Guns
Firearm Safety
Marijuana & Guns