The Wire · CalGunHub

San Diego federal court upholds firearm sale limits for 18-to-20-year-olds

Published March 26, 2025 · Updated October 12, 2026

The district court granted the state summary judgment in PWGG v. Bonta; an appeal to the Ninth Circuit is pending.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: Penal Code 27510's restrictions on firearm sales to 18-to-20-year-olds remain in effect under this judgment while the Ninth Circuit appeal proceeds. An appellate decision could affirm or reverse, so the rules described here are not finally settled. Primary sources for this entry are advocacy-hosted dockets; dates were consistent across sources. This is general information, not legal advice.

On March 26, 2025, Judge M. James Lorenz of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California granted the state's motion for summary judgment and denied the plaintiffs' cross-motion in PWGG, LP v. Bonta (formerly Jones v. Bonta), No. 3:19-cv-01226. The ruling upheld Penal Code section 27510's restrictions on firearm sales to 18-to-20-year-olds, including the semiautomatic rifle ban and the hunting-license requirement, according to the Second Amendment Foundation's docket page and the California Rifle and Pistol Association's May/June 2026 litigation report. The plaintiffs appealed to the Ninth Circuit, No. 25-2509; the opening brief was filed June 30, 2025, and the reply brief was filed in December 2025, per CRPA. No appellate decision has been located as of the latest sources. As of October 12, 2026, the district court judgment for the state remains in place while the appeal is pending, and the section 27510 restrictions, which trace to SB 1100 and SB 61, remain enforceable per the judgment.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.