Attorney General Tong Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholding Federal Ghost Gun Regulations

Press Releases

03/26/2025

Attorney General Tong Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholding Federal Ghost Gun Regulations

(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong released the following statement regarding the 7-2 decision issued today by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bondi v. Vanderstock upholding federal ghost gun regulations.

“This is a significant win for public safety, for commonsense gun safety laws, and for everyone who cares about keeping crime guns off our streets and out of the hands of dangerous criminals. Ghost guns are guns. They exist for one reason—to evade background checks and law enforcement. The ATF rule is fully lawful and necessary to protect public safety. I will continue to defend our lifesaving gun laws—in any state, in any court, anywhere public safety is under threat. That includes enforcement of Connecticut’s own ghost gun laws, and ongoing efforts to defend our post-Sandy Hook assault weapon and large-capacity magazine bans, commonsense age limits on pistol permits and prohibitions on firearms in state parks,” said Attorney General Tong. “We will not allow crime guns and weapons of war back into our schools, our parks, our houses of worship, our grocery stores, and our communities.”

This was not a Second Amendment case but rather a question of statutory definitions. The case challenged a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule, which clarifies that the definition of “firearms” in the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) includes kits and parts that can be converted into fully-functional firearms. This common-sense clarification does not ban gun kits. Rather, it subjects kits and nearly-complete guns to the same rules as conventionally manufactured guns—including serial number and background check requirements.

Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general filing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ATF’s ghost gun rule, arguing that striking it down would harm public safety and hinder law enforcement. The attorneys general described how the rule is consistent with the text, history, and purpose of the GCA and demonstrate that the Fifth Circuit’s decision was erroneous. They argued that the rule is necessary to close a dangerous loophole and stop people who are banned from owning guns from making an end run around existing law—which they were able to do before gun kits were subject to the same regulations as other firearms. Additionally, the coalition shared early evidence that the rule was already improving public safety: multiple jurisdictions had seen a drop in ghost gun recoveries since the rule went into effect in 2023. A copy of the brief is available here.

Connecticut has taken its own commonsense measures to protect the public from the dangers of ghost guns. On October 1, 2019, Connecticut banned the sale and receipt of unfinished frame and lower receiver gun components lacking serial numbers or unique identification, which are used to build ghost guns. In 2023, Attorney General Tong sued four out-of-state firearm dealers for selling and advertising illegal, untraceable ghost gun parts in violation of Connecticut’s 2019 ban. Connecticut has since reached civil settlements with three of the four dealers recovering penalties totaling $885,000. Two of the dealers have ceased operations and a third has committed to putting in place strong controls and reporting to ensure ongoing compliance with Connecticut law.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov