In a major win for constitutional rights, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has officially struck down California’s “one-gun-a-month” law. This decision doesn’t won’t just impact California, but states across the Ninth Circuit, including Washington State, where lawmakers have proposed HB 1132, a nearly identical bill that did not pass in the 2025 session but remains in play for the 2026 session.
How California’s Law Was Defeated
California’s gun rationing law began in 1999, limiting handgun purchases to one per 30-day period. Over time, it has expanded to include all firearms. In 2023, a coalition of plaintiffs, including Michelle Nguyen, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation, filed suit in Nguyen v. Bonta, arguing that the law violated the Second Amendment.
A U.S. District Court agreed, declaring the law unconstitutional. Though the Ninth Circuit initially stayed the ruling, a three-judge panel reversed that stay in August 2024. Then, in June 2025, the Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed the lower court’s decision, finding no historical precedent for rationing firearm purchases among law-abiding citizens. On August 14, 2025, the court issued its mandate, officially striking the law from California’s books.
The ruling emphasized that constitutional rights, whether free speech, religious freedom, or the right to bear arms, cannot be rationed. Judge Danielle J. Forrest wrote that the Second Amendment protects not just possession, but acquisition, and that the state’s attempt to meter rights was unconstitutional.
“We are not aware of any circumstance where government may temporally meter the exercise of constitutional rights in this manner. And we doubt anyone would think government could limit citizens’ free-speech right to one protest a month, their free-exercise right to one worship service per month, or their right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures to apply only to one search or arrest per month.”
She also emphasized:
“The Second Amendment expressly protects the right to possess multiple arms. It also protects against meaningful constraints on the right to acquire arms because otherwise the right to ‘keep and bear’ would be hollow.”
Washington’s HB 1132: A Legal Dead-End
This ruling is great news for gun owners in Washington state. HB 1132 is still in play for the 2026 legislative session, but this ruling from the 9th Circuit (which includes WA) is an excellent case against passing this unconstitutional bill. Based on this court ruling it would likely be DOA if it were to be passed. The bill proposes:
- A limit of one firearm purchase per 30 days
- Ammunition caps: 100 rounds of .50 caliber or 1,000 rounds of other calibers per month
- Sweeping dealer mandates, including licensing, surveillance, and reporting requirements
Other States with Similar Laws
Several states have passed or proposed similar restrictions:
- Virginia: Enacted in 1993, repealed in 2012, reinstated in 2020 with exemptions
- Maryland: Active one-handgun-per-month law
- New Jersey: Active one-handgun-per-month law
- District of Columbia: Law struck down by federal appeals court in 2015
- South Carolina: First state to enact such a law in 1975; repealed in 2004
- New York City: Local restrictions exist, though not statewide
Many of these laws are now vulnerable under the Supreme Court’s Bruen standard, which requires gun regulations to align with historical tradition.
What’s Next?
Washington lawmakers may try to pass HB 1132 in 2026 (never say never with Washington Democrats), but the Ninth Circuit’s ruling now gives 2A advocates a powerful tool to oppose it. There are plenty of “gun control” bills that did not pass in the 2025 legislative session which will be in play in 2026 (ie: ammunition tax, required insurance per firearm) and rest assured, the democrats will propose additional bills we haven’t seen yet. Still, this is a moment to celebrate and to mobilize. It’s critical that citizens engage and speak up! Be sure you are SUBSCRIBED to our Substack for breaking alerts and calls to action!
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