Louisiana's 18-21 Carry Trap: FPC Demands Federal Court Intervention
The Firearms Policy Coalition asked a federal judge to block Louisiana's 21-year-old age requirement for concealed carry permits, targeting a legal trap that allows adults 18 and older to carry concealed under permitless carry law but bars them from obtaining a formal permit until 21. The injunction filing directly challenges the age disparity as unconstitutional.
Key Details
- Louisiana recognizes constitutional carry for adults 18+, permitting concealed carry without a permit
- The same state refuses to issue concealed carry permits to anyone under 21
- FPC seeks immediate injunction to force the state to issue permits to qualified 18-year-olds
- The case hinges on whether age-based restrictions on 18-21-year-olds survive New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen scrutiny
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
This case exposes a fundamental contradiction in carry law. If Louisiana recognizes that 18-year-olds possess the constitutional right to bear arms—which permitless carry implicitly does—then denying them permit paperwork is arbitrary gate-keeping. For young adults in Louisiana, this means carrying concealed is technically legal but documentation remains unavailable, creating a compliance nightmare and legal exposure. Gun owners aged 18-20 face potential arrest or prosecution if stopped, despite operating under presumed constitutional carry. The outcome will signal whether courts treat age 18 as the constitutional floor for Second Amendment rights or whether states retain unbounded discretion to restrict young adults.
DownRange Analysis
FPC's injunction strategy targets low-hanging fruit in post-Bruen litigation. The state cannot credibly claim historical tradition supports barring 18-year-olds from permits while allowing them to carry concealed. Courts have rejected similar age floors under Bruen's text-and-history test. If granted, the injunction forces immediate compliance rather than waiting years for trial. Louisiana's legislators created this trap deliberately—allowing permitless carry while maintaining permit restrictions. Watch whether the court imposes a preliminary injunction (likely) or waits for full briefing. Either way, this case will pressure other permit states holding similar contradictions.
