Supreme Court Takes Up AR-15 Bans — Viramontes and Grant Cases Granted for Next Term
In a June 30 orders list, the justices agreed to hear consolidated challenges to Cook County's and Connecticut's semiautomatic rifle bans — the first time SCOTUS will decide whether AR-15s are protected under the Second Amendment.
- Cert granted June 30, 2026 in Viramontes v. Cook County (25-238) and Grant v. Higgins (25-566), consolidated.
- First SCOTUS merits review of AR-15 / semiautomatic rifle bans under post-Bruen Second Amendment framework.
- Oral arguments expected fall 2026; decision likely by June 2027.
- Lower courts in the 2nd and 7th Circuits upheld both bans; circuit splits on assault-weapon restrictions remain.
- Court declined cert on under-21 handgun purchase bans and took no action on large-capacity magazine cases.
The grant landed on the court's final orders list of the 2025–26 term, one week after the justices struck down a Hawaii law restricting licensed gun owners from carrying on private property without explicit permission.
The consolidated cases are Viramontes v. Cook County, No. 25-238, and Grant v. Higgins, No. 25-566. Oral argument is expected in the fall, when the court's next term begins in October.
Cutberto Viramontes sued in federal court in Chicago in 2021, arguing Cook County's prohibition on semiautomatic rifles violates his right to bear arms. Lower courts upheld the ordinance, citing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit's 2023 Bevis v. City of Naperville decision — which held that covered firearms did not materially differ from machineguns and military-grade weaponry the Supreme Court has said may be banned.
Connecticut's ban was enacted after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown. A federal district court declined to block enforcement, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit affirmed — finding the law imposed targeted restrictions on unusually dangerous weapons while preserving alternatives for self-defense.
Challengers in Grant told the court that under its precedents, "a firearm cannot be banned if it is in common use for lawful purposes" — and that if the nation's most popular rifle is not in common use, "it is hard to see what that phrase could possibly mean."
The court's move fulfills a prediction Justice Brett Kavanaugh made in June 2025 when the justices denied review in Snope v. Brown, a challenge to Maryland's ban. Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch said they would have granted that petition; Kavanaugh called the 4th Circuit's upholding of Maryland's ban "questionable" and wrote the court "should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon, in the next Term or two."
Similar bans exist in roughly a dozen states and jurisdictions, including California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois statewide measures beyond Cook County. AP reported Virginia and Rhode Island passed recent restrictions as well.
The justices separately declined to hear challenges to federal and state laws barring handgun sales to 18–20-year-olds. Justice Clarence Thomas said he would have granted review in West Virginia Citizens Defense League v. ATF. The court also did not act on pending petitions involving large-capacity magazine bans.
For gun owners: this is not a final ruling — it is the start of the highest-stakes Second Amendment case since Bruen. Bans remain enforceable until the court decides. Watch for briefing schedules, amicus filings from SAF, FPC, GOA, and NRA, and whether the Trump DOJ weighs in supporting challengers.
"Kavanaugh said the court would address AR-15 bans soon. On June 30, the court finally called the question."← More Stories
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