The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling on June 25, 2026, striking down a Hawaii law that mandated individuals obtain permission to carry firearms into stores and hotels. The decision allows individuals to carry guns onto privately owned properties, such as shopping malls and gas stations, unless explicitly prohibited by the property owners. This ruling follows a previous Supreme Court decision that determined marijuana users cannot be entirely barred from firearm ownership.
Hawaii's law was enacted in response to a 2022 Supreme Court ruling affirming the Second Amendment right to carry firearms in public. The law was challenged by the Hawaii Firearms Coalition and three Maui residents, with initial legal action blocking the measure before an appeals court reinstated it. The ruling has been supported by gun rights advocates, while gun control groups expressed disappointment but acknowledged that property owners retain the right to prohibit firearms on their premises.
This ruling is part of a broader trend of Supreme Court decisions regarding gun rights, following a series of cases that have emerged since the 2022 ruling, which has prompted numerous challenges to firearm regulations across the United States.