Department of Justice rules firearms for self-defense allowed in public post offices

The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has issued an advisory opinion stating that law-abiding Americans may carry constitutionally protected firearms for self-defense inside U.S. post offices that are generally open to the public.

The OLC’s reasoning centers on an interpretation of 18 U.S. Code § 930, which prohibits firearms in federal facilities but provides an exemption for the “lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.” The opinion concludes that self-defense constitutes a “lawful purpose.”

This development follows the Department of Justice’s decision to withdraw an appeal in a separate case, which maintained a nationwide injunction against the enforcement of the postal carry ban for certain plaintiffs. The OLC opinion suggests that the Postal Service’s blanket regulation against firearms is unlawful as applied to citizens carrying firearms for self-defense in public post offices. However, the opinion notes that restrictions may still apply to non-public facilities, such as those on military bases or behind airport security cordons.