<P> The Second Amendment ( Amendment II ) to the United States Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms and was adopted on December 15 , 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights . The Supreme Court has ruled that the right belongs to individuals for self - defense , while also ruling that the right is not unlimited and does not prohibit long - standing bans from the possession `` of firearms by felons or the mentally ill '' of firearms or similar devices . State and local governments are limited to the same extent as the federal government from infringing this right . </P>
<P> The Second Amendment ( Amendment II ) to the United States Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms and was adopted on December 15 , 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights . The Supreme Court has ruled that the right belongs to individuals for self - defense , while also ruling that the right is not unlimited and does not prohibit long - standing bans from the possession `` of firearms by felons or the mentally ill '' of firearms or similar devices . State and local governments are limited to the same extent as the federal government from infringing this right . </P>
when was the second amendment added to the bill of rights
when was the second amendment added to the bill of rights
December 15 , 1791
December 15 , 1791