The United States Postal Service could begin allowing handguns to be shipped through the mail if a proposed rule from the Trump administration receives approval. Filed last month, the measure would permit Americans to mail concealable firearms such as pistols and revolvers to recipients anywhere in the country.
The proposal mirrors existing protections for mailing long-barreled rifles and shotguns, which require weapons to be unloaded and securely packaged. The USPS reviewed public comments due Monday before finalizing any changes to its rules on handguns. Concealable handguns have been banned from being mailed unless they originate from licensed dealers since 1927.
What the Left Is Saying
Attorneys general from approximately two dozen states sent a letter on Monday urging the USPS to withdraw the proposed rule, arguing it would make it easier for felons and other prohibited individuals to access handguns without background checks. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said the proposal would "make it easier for criminals and abusers to access firearms," calling it a "slap in the face to gun violence survivors and law enforcement."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement that the rule "irresponsibly disregards public safety and would create a direct strain on state resources" while bypassing background check requirements. Everytown for Gun Safety president John Feinblatt told The Associated Press that the proposed rule would turn USPS into a "gun trafficking pipeline" for illegal weapons, "stripping law enforcement of the tools they need to prevent and investigate gun crime."
The Department of Justice called the current 1927 law prohibiting handgun mailings "unconstitutional as applied to constitutionally protected firearms, including handguns, because it serves an illegitimate purpose and is inconsistent with the Nation's tradition of firearm regulation," according to the proposed rule filing.
What the Right Is Saying
The National Rifle Association praised the proposal, arguing that the existing USPS handgun prohibition creates unnecessary obstacles for law-abiding gun owners. "The USPS handgun prohibition continues to create massive and needless headaches for law-abiding gun owners," the NRA stated in its public comment on the rule.
NRA Executive Director for its Institute of Legislative Action John Commerford told The Associated Press that under the Trump administration, "USPS will finally allow these firearms to be shipped under the same commonsense safety conditions as rifles and shotguns." Supporters contend that applying consistent regulations across all firearm types for lawful shippers represents a reasonable modernization of postal policy.
What the Numbers Show
The current handgun mailing ban has been in place since 1927, one of the oldest federal restrictions on firearm shipping. The proposed rule would extend to USPS roughly 31,000 post offices nationwide that could potentially process handgun shipments under the new framework. Approximately two dozen state attorneys general signed the letter opposing the change. The DOJ filing cites constitutional concerns with the existing law dating back nearly a century.
The Bottom Line
The proposed rule marks a significant shift in federal firearms policy by treating handguns similarly to long guns under postal regulations. Public comments closed Monday, and USPS will now review input before issuing a final rule. Legal challenges are likely regardless of the outcome, as both sides have indicated willingness to contest adverse decisions in court. The administration must balance constitutional arguments raised by DOJ against public safety concerns voiced by state officials and gun control advocates.