Trump administration considers allowing individuals to mail handguns to one another

(SeaPRwire) –   Handguns could be mailed through the United States Postal Service for the first time in nearly a century if a proposed rule under the Trump administration takes effect. Democratic attorneys general from 24 states sent a letter this week opposing the move.

In 1927, Congress passed legislation prohibiting the USPS from mailing concealable firearms unless they were being shipped by licensed dealers, aiming to reduce crime. In January, the Department of Justice reviewed the 1927 law, declaring it unconstitutional and violating the Second Amendment, and urged the postal service to update its regulations.

The Department of Justice argued that as long as Congress operates a parcel service, “the Second Amendment prevents it from denying the shipment of constitutionally protected firearms to and from law-abiding citizens, even if they are not licensed manufacturers or dealers.”

Last month, the USPS proposed a new rule permitting anyone to mail concealable firearms such as pistols and revolvers. Currently, the USPS allows the mailing of certain firearms like long-barreled rifles and shotguns, but only if they are unloaded and securely packaged. Similar safety measures would apply to handguns, which have evolved since 1927. The USPS stated in a release that it is reviewing public comments—due Monday—before making final changes.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running for governor, said the rule change would undermine efforts by states like Nevada to combat gun violence. Following the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history—when a gunman opened fire at the Mandalay Bay casino hotel in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, killing 60 people—Nevada enacted a law requiring background checks on most private gun sales or transfers.

“Our state has suffered enough, and suggesting we make it easier for criminals and abusers to access firearms is an insult to gun violence survivors and law enforcement,” Ford said in a statement.

Under the proposed rules, individuals could sell and ship a firearm within state lines. Cross-state shipments would be more restricted—firearms could only be mailed to oneself in the care of another person, who would be required to open the package. This provision is intended to assist people traveling to another state where they might use a firearm for recreation.

The Department of Justice contends that the patchwork of state firearm laws makes it difficult to transport guns across state lines for lawful purposes like target shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It argued that in many cases, people lack the ability to travel with a firearm, making mail delivery the “only viable method of transportation.”

Ford and other attorneys general from approximately two dozen states sent a letter Monday urging the USPS to withdraw the proposed rule, stating it would enable individuals who cannot legally possess firearms—such as those convicted of felonies or domestic violence—to obtain them more easily. They also claimed it would complicate the investigation of gun crimes. The attorneys general argued that the executive branch lacks the authority to disregard a law passed by Congress and that the rule would override existing state gun laws.

State laws include requirements such as firearms safety courses, background checks, and mental health history reviews, according to the attorneys general. These regulations are enforced through state agencies, which would be bypassed if the rule change were implemented, they said. There would be no way to ensure compliance with rules prohibiting the shipment of handguns across state lines to others, they added.

Law enforcement would need to establish a new tracking system to account for firearms mailed through the postal service, placing additional financial burdens on state budgets, the attorneys general noted.

Private companies like UPS and FedEx also restrict firearm shipments to customers with federal firearms licenses, including importers, manufacturers, dealers, and collectors. According to the company’s website, FedEx requires licensees to collaborate with a FedEx account executive to obtain approval before shipping.

Firearm advocacy groups supported the proposed change, while gun safety organizations voiced their concerns.

John Commerford, executive director of the NRA’s lobbying arm, called it a major victory for lawful gun owners.

“Thanks to President Trump and his administration, the USPS will finally allow these firearms to be shipped under the same common-sense safety conditions as rifles and shotguns,” Commerford said in a statement Wednesday.

John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, warned that the rule change would turn the USPS into a “gun trafficking pipeline” for illegal weapons “while stripping law enforcement of the tools they need to prevent and investigate gun crime.”