The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, states that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) that this protects an individual right to possess firearms for self-defense, and in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) that gun regulations must be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.