CHICAGO () — A federal appeals court has upheld Illinois’ ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, handing supporters of the law a significant victory just days after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it will soon weigh in on similar firearm restrictions.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued its decision Thursday, ruling 2-1 in favor of keeping Illinois’ assault weapons ban in place.
Governor JB Pritzker praised the ruling in a social media post, calling it “a victory in the fight to end gun violence.”
Illinois lawmakers approved the weapons ban in the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade in 2022.
The law had faced a setback in 2024, when a judge in southern Illinois found it unconstitutional. But in Thursday’s divided ruling, the appeals court concluded that decisions about banning AR-15-style firearms and high-capacity magazines fall within the authority of lawmakers.
The decision comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to take up a separate challenge involving Cook County’s assault weapons ban. The high court, which has broadened gun rights in recent years, will consider whether prohibitions on semiautomatic rifles commonly referred to as assault weapons violate the Second Amendment.
Late last month, the justices agreed to hear appeals seeking to overturn bans on AR-15s and similar semiautomatic firearms in the Chicago area and in Connecticut.
Comparable restrictions are already on the books in roughly a dozen states, affecting major metropolitan areas including New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Congress allowed the federal assault weapons ban to lapse in 2004, but Democrats have continued to push for its renewal following a series of mass shootings, while several states have moved ahead with their own measures.
The cases are the latest high-profile disputes over guns to reach the court since its conservative majority handed down a landmark ruling in 2022 that expanded Second Amendment rights and spawned challenges to firearm laws around the country.
The Supreme Court case is expected to be heard in the fall.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement, “We will not back down from defending Cook County’s long-standing ban on assault weapons. These weapons of war are designed to inflict the maximum amount of carnage and destruction and have no place in our communities. Countless victims have already endured the devastating impact of gun violence. We will defend this lawful ordinance before this nation’s highest court to continue protecting the people of Cook County.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
