Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Ban on Semiautomatic Weapons

A federal appeals court has upheld Illinois’ landmark ban on semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines, overturning a lower court decision that had struck down the law. The ruling is a significant victory for gun control advocates but is widely expected to face review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

On July 9, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit voted 2-1 to uphold the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), which was signed into law in January 2023 by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. The law bans AR-15 rifles and similar semiautomatic firearms, large-capacity magazines, and an assortment of attachments, while permitting preexisting lawful owners to retain regulated items through a grandfather clause.

Background and Legal Context

The law was passed largely in response to the July 4, 2022, Highland Park Independence Day parade shooting, where a gunman using an AR-15-style rifle and three 30-round magazines killed seven people and injured more than three dozen. The shooter fired 83 shots over approximately 40 seconds, as AP News reported.

In November 2024, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn overturned the ban, ruling it violated the Second Amendment and issuing a permanent injunction. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul immediately filed an appeal, and the Seventh Circuit issued a stay keeping the law in effect during the appeal process.

The Majority Opinion

Judge Amy St. Eve, a Trump appointee, wrote the 44-page majority opinion joined by Judge Frank Easterbrook, a Reagan appointee. The court found the law “consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation,” drawing historical parallels to 19th-century bans on Bowie knives, which were considered particularly dangerous weapons of their era.

“In short, whatever else may be contributing to America’s mass-shooting epidemic, the record makes one thing clear: The more people killed, the more likely it is that the killer used an assault weapon and large-capacity magazines,” St. Eve wrote, as NPR Illinois reported.

The majority concluded that the decision to adopt such restrictions “is a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse.”

The Dissent

Chief Judge Michael Brennan, also a Trump appointee, dissented sharply, arguing that the ban infringes on constitutional rights. “Our Nation’s enduring traditions forbid governments from prohibiting firearms commonly owned for self-defense,” Brennan wrote. “Because the people have overwhelmingly chosen the AR-15 rifle and its magazine as their weapon of choice, they are protected by the Second Amendment.” He concluded that Illinois’ “ban goes too far,” as Fox News reported.

Political Reactions

Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated the ruling, posting on X: “BREAKING: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Protect IL Communities Act. Illinois will continue banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines capable of inflicting mass casualties. A victory in the fight to end gun violence that helps keep our communities safe.”

Attorney General Kwame Raoul called the decision “a win that enhances public safety in Illinois,” adding that “these weapons of war have no place in our communities.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a firearms industry trade association that is a plaintiff in the case, expressed disappointment and announced plans to petition the Supreme Court for review.

The Supreme Court Looms

The legal battle is far from over. On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear challenges to assault weapons bans in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut, with oral arguments expected in fall 2026. Those cases — Grant v. Higgins and Viramontes v. Cook County — could directly determine the fate of Illinois’ statewide ban and similar laws in roughly a dozen other states.

The Supreme Court’s decision in those cases will be a major test of how far its conservative majority is willing to extend Second Amendment protections. The Court has expanded gun rights in recent terms, including striking down Hawaii’s gun carry restrictions and a federal ban on gun ownership by marijuana users, but also upheld a federal law barring domestic violence offenders from possessing guns in an 8-1 decision in 2024.

What’s Next

If the Supreme Court upholds assault weapons bans, it would validate laws in roughly a dozen states and potentially encourage more states to pass similar legislation. If it strikes them down, it could invalidate state and local assault weapons laws across the country.

For now, the Seventh Circuit’s ruling keeps Illinois’ ban in place. But with the Supreme Court already poised to weigh in on the constitutional questions at the heart of the debate, the final chapter of this legal battle has yet to be written.