An attempt to invalidate a New York State law that all but bans the sale of ivory in the state hit a major hurdle Friday, after U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield of the Southern District of New York dismissed the plaintiffs' suit for lack of standing.

The Art and Antique Dealers League of America and The National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America brought the lawsuit last year over the state law, passed in 2014, that made it a felony to buy, sell or trade ivory.

While the statute provided a narrow exemption for antiques, the groups argued the law was unconstitutional. They argued that the state law was pre-empted by federal law, and that the state restrictions represent a violation of commercial free speech under the First Amendment. The suit sought a declaratory judgment to void the law, and a permanent injunction to prevent its enforcement.