Which types of gun-control restrictions have federal and state courts generally allowed after District of Columbia v. Heller?

In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court established that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess firearms for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. However, the Court explicitly noted that this right is not unlimited.1234

Following Heller, federal and state courts have generally upheld various gun-control restrictions that are considered consistent with historical regulatory traditions. These permissible measures include:56

• Prohibitions on possession: Laws barring firearms for felons and the mentally ill.3
• Sensitive locations: Restrictions on carrying firearms in places such as schools and government buildings.3
• Commercial regulations: Laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.3
• General oversight: Requirements such as criminal background checks.5
• Public safety measures: Restrictions on individuals who pose a credible threat to the physical safety of others, such as those subject to domestic-violence restraining orders.6
• Time, place, and manner: Regulations concerning the use of firearms outside the home.5

While the Court later clarified in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) that the Second Amendment includes a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, it maintained that regulations must be "relevantly similar" to historical precedents.56