May 16, 2014: Yesterday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued the latest installment of Heller v. D.C. when he upheld D.C.’s firearms registration requirements finding that city officials acted “in a constitutionally permissible manner” and that the restrictive laws were consistent with the Second Amendment. Judge Boasberg held that requiring registrants to appear in person with their firearm(s) and submit to fingerprints and photographs, “help[s] to effectuate the District’s firearm-registration scheme by preventing fraud, enabling more comprehensive background checks, and allowing police to more easily verify the true owner of a registration certificate.” Although the judge recognized in his opinion that the mandatory firearms safety training required by D.C.’s laws burdens Second Amendment rights, he held that “common sense” supports that these requirements will reduce firearms accidents and boost compliance with the law.
Judge Boasberg also upheld D.C.’s requirement of regular renewal of gun registrations, finding that the requirement will help maintain accurate records and is “hardly an oppressive burden.” Lastly, Judge Boasberg concluded that D.C.’s one-gun-a-month registration limit was narrowly tailored to meet D.C.’s interests in reducing illegal gun trafficking and promoting public safety. A copy of Judge Boasberg’s opinion is available here.