Justice Department Sues Denver Over Bans on Semi-Automatic Rifles

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on May 5, 2026, against the City of Denver in federal court, claiming the city's bans on specific semi-automatic rifles infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

The bans affect Denver residents who own or seek to own semi-automatic rifles classified as assault weapons under city ordinances, per the Justice Department press release. These restrictions target firearms in common use nationwide, impacting an estimated thousands of gun owners in the city's population of over 700,000, based on standard census data and the prevalence of such rifles in U.S. households as documented in federal surveys.

Denver previously enforced ordinances prohibiting the possession, sale, and transfer of certain semi-automatic rifles, defining them as assault weapons. The lawsuit challenges these as unconstitutional, aiming to strike them down entirely with no specified timeline for resolution provided in the filing.

If successful, the bans would end immediately upon a court order, restoring the ability to own and acquire the affected firearms within city limits.

A favorable ruling would require Denver to revise its municipal codes to comply with Second Amendment standards, triggering potential appeals to higher courts like the Tenth Circuit or U.S. Supreme Court. The decision could set precedents for similar challenges in other Colorado municipalities, prompting state-level reviews of gun laws.

Federal enforcement resources would monitor compliance, potentially leading to further DOJ actions if local adjustments fail.

The suit follows the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which expanded Second Amendment protections for firearms in common use. Congress has not passed new federal gun restrictions since then, leaving such disputes to the courts.