New York made it a crime to buy a bulletproof vest. A federal judge just struck that down

October 22, 2026

Benjamin Heeter and Joseph Wurtenberg just wanted to buy body armor to protect themselves. Under New York's 2022 law, that made them criminals: buying a bulletproof vest without working in an "eligible profession" like policing was a misdemeanor the first time and a felony after that. So they sued, with the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) behind them.

On Oct. 21, U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. of the Western District of New York ruled for them in Heeter v. James. In a 47-page opinion he held that body armor is an "arm" protected by the plain text of the Second Amendment and that New York couldn't point to any historical tradition backing the ban. "New York fails that test," he wrote. FPC calls it the first known federal judgment striking down a general ban on buying defensive body armor.

The court permanently enjoined the purchase-and-sale ban, though it paused that for 14 days so the state can appeal, and said New York isn't likely to win one. Laws against wearing armor while committing violent crimes stay in place. A purely defensive tool that stops bullets is now recognized as part of the right to self-defense.