USPS Proposes Allowing Handguns to Be Mailed for First Time Since 1927

The United States Postal Service proposed a new rule last month that would allow handguns to be shipped through the mail for the first time in 99 years. The change would apply to concealable firearms such as pistols and revolvers, which have been barred from the postal system since a 1927 law aimed at curbing crime.

The USPS currently permits mailing of long-barreled rifles and shotguns when they are unloaded and securely packaged. The Department of Justice reviewed the 1927 statute in January and declared it unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The agency then urged the postal service to update its regulations accordingly.

Public comments on the proposal closed Monday, and the USPS said it is reviewing them before making a final decision. The proposed rule would permit individuals to mail handguns within the same state. Shipments across state lines would face stricter limits, allowing mailing only to oneself or in the care of another person who must open the package in person.

Officials said the provision is intended to help lawful gun owners traveling for recreational purposes such as target shooting, hunting or self-defense in another state.

Attorneys general from approximately two dozen states, including Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, sent a letter Monday urging the USPS to withdraw the proposed rule. They argued the change would undermine state efforts to regulate firearms through background checks, safety courses and mental health assessments.

The officials said it could allow prohibited persons, including convicted felons and those with domestic violence records, to obtain handguns more easily. The attorneys general also warned that the rule would complicate investigations of gun crimes and require law enforcement agencies to develop new tracking systems, increasing costs for state budgets.