Federal Judge Issues Stay on ATF Rule Restricting Private Gun Sales

The rule makes many Americans ‘felons overnight’ if they engage in buying or selling a firearm privately, a lawsuit against the rule says.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) meeting in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 23, 2024. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a temporary restraining order in a case against a Biden administration rule that would affect American citizens who engage in the private sale of guns.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has the authority to administer and enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968, which makes it unlawful for any individual other than a licensed dealer to engage in the business of dealing in firearms until they have received a license from the ATF.