McDonald v. City of Chicago
Supreme Court of the United States · No. 08-1521 · 177 L. Ed. 2d 894
👍Favorable to gun rights
held the Second Amendment right fully applicable to the States, rejecting the cities' argument that it binds only the federal government
GunMapUSA assessment of the outcome's direction, not a statement that the court decided rightly or wrongly.
What the court held
Chicago and Oak Park residents who wanted handguns at home for self-defense challenged municipal ordinances that, by barring registration of most handguns, effectively banned private handgun possession; the cities defended them on the ground that the Second Amendment has no application to the States, and the Seventh Circuit agreed, following three 19th-century Supreme Court decisions. Petitioners argued the right was protected against the States primarily by the Fourteenth Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause and, secondarily, by its Due Process Clause. "Applying the standard that is well established in our case law," the Court held "that the Second Amendment right is fully applicable to the States."
Summarized from the court's opinion.
What this case is about
Whether the Second Amendment applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment
GunMapUSA summary of the issue, not a quotation from the court.
Key Dates
- 2010-06-28 — Decided
Sources
- CourtListener — retrieved 2026-08-09
Summary of public court records. Not legal advice.