Why Texas Must Restore the Right of 18- to 20-Year-Olds to Purchase and Carry Firearms

HB 2470 by Rep. Wes Virdell Is the Solution

Texas House Bill 2470, filed by Representative Wes Virdell, boldly defends the constitutional rights of young adults by restoring their ability to purchase and carry firearms. This bill, heard in the Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans Affairs Committee, reflects what federal courts have already affirmed: the Second Amendment does not have an age limit.

The Problem: Arbitrary Age-Based Restrictions

Under current Texas law, law-abiding adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are denied the same rights enjoyed by those just a few years older. This group of Texans can vote, pay taxes, serve in the military, and be held legally accountable—yet they are treated as second-class citizens when it comes to self-defense.

This contradiction is not just unfair—it’s unconstitutional.

The Legal Foundation for HB 2470

HB 2470 follows key federal legal precedents:

• In Firearms Policy Coalition v. McCraw, a federal judge ruled that Texas’ restriction on handgun carry for 18- to 20-year-olds violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

• That decision was grounded in the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen, which requires all modern gun laws to be rooted in the nation’s historical tradition.

• On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal defending Minnesota’s similar age-based restriction, letting stand the lower court’s ruling that struck it down.

These decisions confirm what gun owners have long known: denying constitutional rights based on arbitrary age limits has no place in American law.

Texas Should Lead—Not Follow

On April 18, 2025, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 924 into law, lowering the minimum age to purchase and carry handguns from 21 to 18. Iowa is now aligned with federal standards—and Texas should do the same.

We can’t afford to lag behind. HB 2470 ensures that Texas remains a leader in defending the right to keep and bear arms for all law-abiding adults.

The Evidence Is Clear

Decades of academic research support this policy. In More Guns, Less Crime, Dr. John Lott demonstrates that enabling law-abiding citizens—including young adults—to carry firearms is associated with reductions in violent crime. Empowering good people deters bad actors.

What You Can Do

Thanks to your activism, HB 2470 is gaining traction—but it still needs your help to advance. This session, we have a chance to ensure that Texas law finally reflects what the Constitution and the courts have already said: 18- to 20-year-old Texans have a right to keep and bear arms.

Urge your State Representative to support HB 2470 and ensure it receives a full vote on the House floor.

Let’s stand up for the next generation of gun owners—and for the principle that constitutional rights don’t come with an age limit.