USPS Proposes Handgun Mailing Rule, Opposed by 24 States

The United States Postal Service has proposed a rule change that would permit individuals to mail handguns through the mail for the first time in nearly a century, prompting opposition from attorneys general in two dozen states. The proposal, advanced under the Trump administration, follows a January determination by the Department of Justice that a 1927 federal law restricting such shipments is unconstitutional.

That law, enacted by Congress to combat crime, prohibited USPS from mailing concealable firearms like pistols and revolvers unless sent by licensed dealers. The Justice Department argued that the Second Amendment bars the government-operated postal service from refusing to ship protected firearms for law-abiding citizens, regardless of their licensing status. Last month, USPS published the proposed regulation, which would apply the same requirements already in place for long-barreled rifles and shotguns: firearms must be unloaded and securely packaged.

Public comments on the proposal closed Monday, and USPS stated it is reviewing feedback before finalizing any changes. Under the rules, shipments within state lines could go directly between individuals, such as in...