Headline Roundup • March 26th, 2025
Supreme Court Upholds Biden Admin's Regulations on 'Ghost Guns'
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The US Supreme Court upheld a Biden administration regulation that subjects 'ghost guns' to the same rules as traditional firearms.
The Details: The regulations were established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2022. The decision, written by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, was 7-2, with conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.
For Context: 'Ghost guns' are firearms that can be purchased as a kit online and assembled at home, making them largely untraceable. The regulations require firearms dealers and manufacturers to put serial numbers on these guns, treating them the same way as firearms purchased from specialist stores. Manufacturers and sellers now have to obtain licenses, require background checks, and maintain records. 'Ghost guns' have been increasingly linked to violent crimes, according to law enforcement.
How The Media Covered It: The Los Angeles Times (Lean Left bias) highlighted the support for the regulations from police and prosecutors and called the Supreme Court decision a “rare win for gun control advocates in the high court.” It did not quote Alito and Thomas' dissent, while NBC News (Lean Left) and outlets on the right did.
Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
The Supreme Court held Wednesday that federal firearms laws cover so-called ghost guns, weapons that are assembled from kits that law enforcement says are becoming the go-to choice for armed criminals.
The gun industry had challenged a Biden-era regulation treating ghost guns like other firearms, with the same licensing, background checks and serial number requirements. A federal appeals court in New Orleans had set aside the regulation, reasoning that weapons parts aren’t weapons and thus weren’t covered by the Gun Control Act of 1968.
The Supreme Court upheld a federal rule targeting ghost guns on Wednesday, preserving a key Biden-era regulation that treats “readily convertible” gun kits, commonly referred to as “ghost guns” due to their often untraceable characteristics, as firearms under federal law.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the 7-2 majority, concluded that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives acted within its authority when it issued a 2022 rule clarifying that gun control laws apply to kits that can be easily assembled into functioning firearms. “The ATF’s rule is not facially inconsistent with the Gun Control...
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a federal ban on the sale of parts kits that permit unlicensed gun owners to make firearms at home which cannot be traced by the police.
In a 7-2 decision, the justices agreed these homemade weapons, often referred to as “ghost guns,” qualify as firearms under federal law.
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