Supreme Court to Consider ATF’s Attempt to Regulate ‘Ghost Guns’

The DOJ is asking the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that held the ATF misinterpreted a federal gun control law.

"Ghost guns" seized in federal law enforcement actions are displayed in a file photo at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives field office in Glendale, Calif., on April 18, 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Oct. 8 over so-called ghost guns and whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded congressional authorization when it issued regulatory guidance aimed at preventing their production.

“Ghost guns” are generally understood to be untraceable firearms that lack serial numbers and are provided by a source other than someone licensed to do so.