TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 31, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Biden administration’s regulation of "ghost guns" in a 7-2 decision, rejecting a challenge from gun rights groups and manufacturers. The regulation, enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), requires ghost guns, sold as do-it-yourself kits, to be treated like other firearms, The Hill reports. “Future cases may present other and more difficult questions about ATF’s regulations. But we take cases as they come and today resolve only the question posed to us,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented separately, saying they would have invalidated the rule. In 2022, the ATF began regulating ghost guns as any other firearm, subjecting the devices to requirements such as serial numbers and background checks.