{"id":2647104,"date":"2026-08-19T18:04:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T22:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-strikes-down-biden-era-atf-ghost-gun-restrictions\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T18:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T22:07:37","slug":"federal-court-strikes-down-biden-era-atf-ghost-gun-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-strikes-down-biden-era-atf-ghost-gun-restrictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal court strikes down Biden-era ATF ghost gun restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffederal-court-strikes-down-biden-era-atf-ghost-gun-restrictions%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2647104&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal court has declared Biden-era regulations on \u201cghost guns\u201d unconstitutional, reigniting ongoing legal debates. U.S. District Judge Reed O\u2019Connor ruled that the ATF\u2019s rule requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-challenges-supreme-court-on-abortion-with-new-gun-ban-bill\/\" title=\"Newsom Challenges ... On Abortion With New ... Ban Bill\">ghost gun kits<\/a> to carry serial numbers, undergo licensing, and include background checks violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutionally vague. He emphasized that firearm self-manufacturing is historically rooted in American tradition and that recent Supreme Court rulings support the legalization of such practices. This decision challenges the Biden administration\u2019s efforts to regulate homemade firearms, with the Trump-era department of Justice defending the law in court, citing legal authority. The Second Amendment Foundation welcomed the ruling, criticizing the rule\u2019s vagueness and its infringement on Second Amendment rights. The DOJ may appeal to the Fifth Circuit, possibly leading back to the Supreme Court, which is also expected to review other major Second Amendment cases, including bans on assault weapons.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/courts\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"439\">court<\/a> ruled Biden-era regulations on \u201cghost <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guns-and-firearms\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"780\">guns<\/a>\u201d are unconstitutional, reigniting a legal battle that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3359244\/supreme-court-upholds-ghost-guns-rule\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3359244\/supreme-court-upholds-ghost-guns-rule\/\">made its way<\/a> to the Supreme Court last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Judge Reed O\u2019Connor, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txnd.366145\/gov.uscourts.txnd.366145.330.0.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.txnd.366145\/gov.uscourts.txnd.366145.330.0.pdf\">found<\/a> the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule, which dealt with firearm kits that allow a person to create a gun at home, violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutionally vague. The rule said ghost gun kits must be subject to the same regulations as regular firearms, including by marking them with serial numbers, requiring sellers to get licenses, and performing background checks on buyers. O\u2019Connor ruled that historical firearm tradition supports striking down the rule, as mandated by recent Supreme Court precedent that asks courts to consider American history when determining the constitutionality of gun laws.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4692877\/federal-court-strikes-down-biden-era-atf-ghost-gun-restrictions\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Federal court strikes down Biden-era ATF ghost gun restrictions<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4692701\/no-trump-influence-behind-86-47-prosecution-of-james-comey-doj\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>No Trump influence behind \u201986 47\u2032 prosecution of James Comey: DOJ<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4691905\/who-can-qualify-trump-gun-rights-restoration-program\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Here\u2019s who can qualify for Trump\u2019s gun rights restoration program<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Final Rule does not merely lack supporting analogues. It contradicts the actual historical tradition of personal gunsmithing,\u201d O\u2019Connor wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSelf-manufacture of firearms in America was common and indeed foundational to establishing our Nation. Americans throughout our history have continued to build their own arms and that \u2018right [has] remained unregulated throughout [much of] American history,&#8217;\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ruling from O\u2019Connor came after the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in March 2025 that the ATF was acting within its authority when it created the rule. Justice Neil Gorsuch\u2019s majority opinion said the rule was within the scope of the ATF\u2019s rulemaking powers, but the justices did not rule on whether the rule itself was constitutional. O\u2019Connor\u2019s ruling restarts the legal battle, this time on the constitutionality of the law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the ATF rule was implemented to great fanfare by the Biden administration, the Trump administration has continued to defend the law in court. In a filing earlier this year, the Department of Justice argued that the judge should dismiss the claims brought by Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation, largely based on a lack of standing. The case is one of the rare instances where the Trump administration has been opposite gun rights group in a legal battle.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Second Amendment Foundation celebrated the ruling that found the sweeping rule was unlawfully vague and violated Second Amendment protections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis rule was such a mess that it not only violated the Second Amendment but was so terribly drafted that it managed to be ruled unconstitutionally vague,\u201d SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut said. \u201cThe Court rightly held that the Biden ATF\u2019s rule not only sought to outright prohibit Second Amendment protected conduct but was written in such a vague and vaporous manner as to chill that protected conduct by making it impossible to even know what was legal and what wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4687746\/gun-rights-sue-new-york-glock-ban\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4687746\">GUN RIGHTS GROUPS SUE NEW YORK OVER GLOCK BAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which would potentially put the case back on track to return to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The high court is set to hear a major Second Amendment case during its next term, when the justices decide whether a pair of \u201cassault weapons\u201d bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois, are unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has yet to schedule arguments in the \u201cassault weapons\u201d ban case, but could hear it as soon as December.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Court rules Biden ghost gun regs unconstitutional, court battle resumes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2647105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22101660800457.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50902,32502,38298,38871,78852],"class_list":["post-2647104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-atf-2","tag-biden-administration","tag-federal-court","tag-ghost-guns","tag-gun-regulations"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22101660800457.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2647104"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2647108,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647104\/revisions\/2647108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2647105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2647104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2647104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2647104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}