Federal law bars 18-year-olds from buying handguns even though the Justice Department has called that restriction unconstitutional. New York Governor Kathy Hochul supports the restriction.

People who turn 18 may legally sign contracts, enlist in the military, and vote. A felony conviction at that age can still produce a permanent ban on firearm ownership. Critics of allowing adults under 21 to have guns point to unfinished brain development, yet that claim is not used in court to excuse crimes or to end lifetime prohibitions after a conviction.