Justice Department Sues California to Halt Glock Ban and Handgun Roster

The Justice Department filed suit against California on July 1 seeking to halt the state's newly enacted ban on Glock pistols, according to a press release issued that day by the department.

Per the release, the complaint also asks the court to bar enforcement of California's "Handgun Roster," a state-maintained list that limits which firearms individuals may legally purchase. The United States challenges both the Glock ban and the roster as unlawful under the Second Amendment, the department said.

The DOJ release is the sole source for this account. The text of the complaint, the court in which it was filed and any scheduling details were not included in the material reviewed, and California's response was likewise not available. The unlawfulness of the two measures is the federal government's litigating position, not a judicial finding.

Background

California's handgun roster traces to the state's Unsafe Handgun Act, in force since the early 2000s, which requires that handguns sold by dealers in the state appear on a Department of Justice roster of models certified as meeting safety requirements. The roster has long been a target of Second Amendment litigation because its feature requirements kept many newer pistol models off the approved list, narrowing what Californians can buy new at retail. Glock, the Austrian manufacturer whose striker-fired pistols are among the most widely carried handguns in the United States — including by a large share of American law enforcement — is an unusual subject for a model-specific state ban, which is what gives the new statute its salience.

The federal posture is also notable. Second Amendment challenges to state gun laws are typically brought by individuals and advocacy groups; a suit by the United States against a state puts the federal government's weight directly behind the constitutional claim. The legal terrain has been shaped by the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which requires gun regulations to be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation — a standard that has since fueled challenges to state-level restrictions nationwide.

What comes next

The case now proceeds in federal court, where California will have the opportunity to answer the complaint and the United States may seek preliminary relief to suspend enforcement while the case is heard. Watch for the state's response, the identity of the court and judge, and any early motion practice over whether the Glock ban and roster remain enforceable during the litigation.