DC V. Heller (2008)
Definition
US Supreme Court decision (554 US 570) holding that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for traditionally lawful purposes, including self-defence in the home. Struck down DC's handgun ban. The right is not unlimited: it is consistent with prohibitions on felon and mentally ill possession, sensitive-place restrictions, and commercial sale conditions.
- Citation
- 554 US 570 (2008)
- Holding
- Second Amendment protects an individual right
- Struck down
- DC's handgun ban
- Limits upheld
- Felon/mentally ill restrictions, sensitive places, sale conditions
Common questions
Does Heller mean any firearm restriction is presumptively unconstitutional in the US?+
No, the decision explicitly stated the right is not unlimited and preserved longstanding regulatory measures such as bans on possession by felons and the mentally ill, restrictions in sensitive places like schools and government buildings, and conditions on commercial sale, so many existing regulations continued to operate after Heller.
Why is Heller relevant to firearms examiners beyond its constitutional law significance?+
Heller reframed which categories of firearms regulation remain legally viable in the US, which shapes the regulatory and licensing framework examiners must reference when assessing legal possession status in a case, even though the decision itself addresses constitutional scope rather than forensic examination methods.
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