The Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law requiring people to obtain permission before carrying guns into stores and hotels on Thursday, marking its latest opinion in favor of Second Amendment rights.
Ruling Details
The high court's 6-3 decision means individuals can carry firearms onto privately owned property such as shopping malls and gas stations unless the owners explicitly ban guns. The ruling came shortly after the court found that marijuana users cannot be completely barred from owning firearms.
The decision is a win for President Donald Trump's Republican administration, which argued the law violates the Second Amendment. The measure was sometimes referred to as a "vampire rule" because it required gun carriers to get permission before entering, similar to vampire lore requiring an invitation to enter a home.
Background of the Law
Hawaii argued that the 2023 measure allowed private property owners to decide whether to allow firearms on their premises. The state enacted the law after thousands more people obtained legal permission to carry guns following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the Second Amendment right to carry firearms in public.
About four other states have enacted similar laws, though presumptive restrictions on guns in private spaces open to the public have been blocked elsewhere.
Other Gun Restrictions
Hawaii also restricts guns in places like parks, beaches, and restaurants serving alcohol, but those rules were not before the court. They are being challenged in lower courts, according to reports.
The lawsuit was filed by a gun rights group and three individuals from Maui. A judge initially blocked the measure, but an appeals court allowed its enforcement. The Trump administration backed the Supreme Court appeal.
Broader Gun Cases
This is one of two gun cases on the Supreme Court's docket this term. The other concerns whether regular marijuana users and those using other drugs can legally own firearms. These cases follow a series of gun challenges after the 2022 ruling that prompted a flood of litigation over firearm restrictions nationwide.
The justices have since struck down a ban on bump stocks, which enable rapid firing, but upheld a federal law protecting domestic violence victims and strict regulations on ghost guns—untraceable firearms.
