A federal judge ruled Saturday that Washington, D.C.’s ban on carrying handguns outside the home violated the constitution and ordered its enforcement halted.

“There is no longer any basis on which this Court can conclude that the District of Columbia’s total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny,” Judge Frederick Scullin said in his opinion.

Judge Scullin acknowledged that specific bans on handguns in certain “sensitive places” like public schools may be permissible, but he took issue with the district’s “total ban” on all carrying of handguns in public.

As of Saturday night, the immediate effect of the ruling is unclear.

The ruling orders the defendants (the District of Columbia, Police Chief Cathy Lanier, and their employees), to cease enforcement of the ban “unless and until such time as the District of Columbia adopts a licensing mechanism consistent with constitutional standards.” But the city still has the option to appeal the ruling, and legal experts confirmed to The Washington Post that all parties must be given the opportunity to appeal a ruling before it takes effect.

The total ban may remain in effect for now, as the case continues to make its way through the court system.