Overview
- Twenty-two attorneys general filed a public comment opposing a USPS proposal that would let individuals mail handguns without going through licensed firearm dealers.
- The coalition argues the executive branch cannot set aside 18 U.S.C. §1715, a 1927 law that restricts mailing concealable guns, because no court has struck it down.
- After a Justice Department opinion in January 2026 declared the mailing ban unconstitutional and said it would not be enforced, USPS issued a matching proposed rule on April 2.
- The states warn the change would allow buyers to bypass background checks and could let felons, domestic abusers, and others barred under state laws obtain weapons by mail.
- The letter quotes USPS as saying it has no statutory duty to ensure packages follow differing state gun rules, which the states say would create enforcement gaps and raise tracing and investigative costs for local police.