Supreme Court to hear challenge to Hawaii’s gun-carry ban

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a major Second Amendment case out of Hawaii, where state lawmakers have imposed some of the strictest gun-carry restrictions in the nation.

The law under review forbids concealed carry permit holders from bringing their legally owned handguns onto private property without the property owner’s express consent. It also bans firearms in everyday locations such as beaches, bars, restaurants that serve alcohol, and gas stations. The restrictions make it nearly impossible for law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense.

The Trump Administration asked the Court to intervene in May, warning that Hawaii’s sweeping prohibitions are inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. That ruling held that Americans with concealed carry permits cannot be denied the right to bear arms in public for self-defense.

“Someone carrying a firearm for self-defense cannot run errands without fear of criminal sanction,” the administration wrote in its brief, adding that Hawaii’s law “serves no legitimate purpose and instead seeks only to inhibit the exercise of the right to bear arms.”

Supporters of the law claim it is for the public’s safety, but gun-rights advocates say the measure effectively nullifies the Second Amendment by turning nearly every place into a so-called “sensitive area.”

The case represents the latest clash between states trying to restrict gun rights and a Supreme Court that has more aggressively affirmed that the Constitution protects carrying firearms outside the home. Arguments are expected later this term, which begins Oct. 6.