The United States Postal Service (USPS) is considering a major policy shift that would allow Americans to ship handguns and other concealable firearms through the mail for the first time in nearly a century. The proposal, backed by the Trump administration, seeks to overturn a 1927 law that prohibited the mailing of concealable weapons by anyone other than licensed manufacturers or dealers.
The push for the change originated in January 2026, when the Department of Justice (DOJ) reevaluated the decades-old statute. The DOJ argued that the ban is unconstitutional, asserting that it violates the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. According to the department, as long as the federal government operates a parcel service, it cannot legally refuse to transport constitutionally protected firearms for individuals, even if they lack a commercial license.
Under current USPS regulations, long guns—such as rifles and shotguns—can already be shipped if they are unloaded and securely packaged.
The new proposal would extend similar rules to handguns and revolvers. While the DOJ frames the move as a necessity for gun owners who find it difficult to travel with firearms for legal purposes like hunting or self-defense, the plan has sparked intense domestic opposition.
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A coalition of attorneys general from approximately two dozen states, led by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, has formally urged the USPS to withdraw the proposal. These officials argue that allowing private citizens to mail handguns would create a massive loophole in state-level regulations, such as background checks, mental health evaluations, and safety training requirements.
They warned that the rule would facilitate the flow of weapons to individuals legally prohibited from owning them, including those with felony or domestic violence convictions, and would significantly complicate criminal investigations.
The proposed guidelines specify that while intrastate shipping (within a single state) would be more flexible, interstate shipping would remain more restricted; individuals would generally only be allowed to mail a firearm to themselves at a different location.
However, critics maintain that the USPS lacks the infrastructure to verify that these rules are being followed, effectively bypassing state borders and local safety laws. The USPS is currently reviewing public comments before finalizing the regulation.
