Legislation To Raise Minimum Age For Buying Assault Weapons

Legislation was announced on January 19, 2025, by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21.

21 is currently the age requirement that applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers. The Senator's Office notes that individuals under the age of 21 have used assault weapons in shootings in the U.S.A., including the 2022 mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, in which 10 people were killed.

In 2023, over 46,000 lives were lost due to gun violence. That number is the third-largest number of gun-related deaths in American history. Senator Gillibrand's office says that over 85 percent of deaths in public mass shootings involving four or more fatalities were caused by assault rifles.

In addition, shootings involving assault weapons or large-capacity magazines have resulted in over 2.5 times as many people being shot compared to incidents involving other firearms.

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America today. Year after year, deadly assault weapons inflict devastating and avoidable harm on our families, schools, and communities, causing children, parents, and teachers to live with the fear that the next school shooting may happen in their community. The Age 21 Act offers a critical safeguard to prevent such tragedies, decreasing the threat of gun violence against our kids. I am proud to support this legislation, and I will fight hard for its passage this Congress. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

The Age 21 Act’s restrictions for persons under 21 would apply to both federally licensed and private sellers and would bar most people under 21 from possessing assault weapons, handguns, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and related ammunition, with limited exceptions for specific circumstances such as service in law enforcement or the armed forces.

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