District of Columbia v. Heller
554 U.S. 570 (2008)
📄 Read the Actual Opinion
U.S. Reports opinion (PDF) →📋 Summary of the Opinion
Dick Anthony Heller, a D.C. special police officer, challenged the District’s handgun ban and requirement that firearms in the home be kept nonfunctional. The Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms unconnected to service in a militia, particularly for self-defense in the home.
⚖️ Why It Mattered
This was the first Supreme Court case to explicitly recognize the Second Amendment as protecting an individual right to own guns. It struck down D.C.’s handgun ban.
✅ What It Provided or Took Away
✅ Provided:
Recognition of an individual constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
❌ Took Away:
D.C.’s strict handgun ban and functional storage requirement.
🤔 Overreach or Proper Role?
Critics called it judicial activism that overturned decades of precedent; supporters said it faithfully applied the Second Amendment’s text and history.
💡 Plain-English Impact Today
You have a constitutional right to own a functional firearm in your home for self-defense. Governments can still regulate guns, but outright bans on handguns are unconstitutional.