A federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled Friday that New Jersey's ban on semiautomatic rifles and large-capacity ammunition magazines violates the Second Amendment, marking the first time a federal appellate court has invalidated a state's assault weapons prohibition.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that New Jersey's restrictions on AR-15-style firearms and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds unconstitutionally infringe on the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
The decision arrives as the U.S. Supreme Court considers related challenges to similar bans in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut. The high court, which holds a 6-3 conservative majority, agreed last month to review those lower court decisions that upheld the bans.
Gun rights organizations brought the New Jersey case, arguing the state's firearms restrictions could not survive constitutional review following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. That ruling established that modern firearm regulations must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."
A federal district judge had previously issued a split decision in 2024, striking down the AR-15 rifle ban but allowing the magazine restriction to stand.
The full appeals court expanded on that ruling. Voting 10-5, it determined that New Jersey's ban on all semiautomatic rifles - not only AR-15 variants - violates the Second Amendment. The court also invalidated the state's large-capacity magazine restriction, finding both provisions unconstitutional.