WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for two Arizona gun dealers is arguing that the Obama administration overstepped its legal authority when it required dealers in southwestern border states to report when customers buy multiple high-powered rifles.

Richard Gardiner told a federal appeals court Wednesday that the directive requires gun dealers to create a records system, and the government has no authority to require that.

Justice Department lawyer Michael Raab says sellers should be able to determine by the manufacturer and model number if a particular rifle is covered by the requirement.

At issue is a 2011 regulation on gun sellers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Sellers there are required to report to the federal government when anyone buys two or more semi-automatic rifles of a certain type within a five-day period.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)