The National Rifle Association joined the Second Amendment Foundation, American Suppressor Association, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Second Amendment Law Center, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review in Peterson v. United States, a case challenging the National Firearms Act of 1934’s registration and taxation requirements for suppressors.
George Peterson was indicted for possessing an unregistered suppressor under 26 U.S.C. §§ 5841, 5861(d), and 5871, and alleges that the NFA’s prohibition on untaxed and unregistered suppressors violates the Second Amendment. (Although the $200 tax on the making and transferring of suppressors was recently eliminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the tax was in effect at the time of Peterson’s indictment.) After the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the restrictions, Peterson petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case.
Our brief was filed in support of Peterson’s petition. The brief explains that suppressors are protected “arms” under the Second Amendment and that the NFA’s restrictions are inconsistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. It argues that there is no historical basis for requiring the registration of protected arms and that the government may not impose special taxes on the exercise of a constitutional right. The brief urges the Court to grant review to invalidate these infringements and ensure that the Second Amendment is not treated as a second-class right.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit www.nraila.org/litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.
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