DOJ Challenges Colorado's High-Capacity Magazine Ban

DOJ Sues Colorado Over Magazine Ban The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of Colorado on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, challenging the state's ban on certain firearm magazines. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that Colorado's statute prohibiting so-called "large-capacity magazines" unconstitutionally infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of citizens.

The DOJ contends that Colorado's law criminalizes the possession of magazines that are standard equipment for many popular firearms, including AR-15-style rifles, which are widely owned in the United States. The complaint highlights that hundreds of millions of such magazines are legally owned by Americans. The legal action is based on the precedent set by the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller , which affirmed the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons in common use for lawful purposes.

The Civil Rights Division's Second Amendment Section of the DOJ is responsible for enforcing these rights. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate Colorado's ban, arguing that it restricts the ability of citizens to possess arms that are commonly used for self-defense and other lawful purposes.