US Supreme Court rules Hawaii concealed‑carry ban unconstitutional

In a 6‑3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Hawaii’s law prohibiting licensed concealed‑carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the owner’s express permission violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, said the restriction “falls within the plain text of the Second Amendment” and is therefore presumptively unconstitutional.

Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas emphasized that public opposition cannot limit constitutional rights, noting that the majority view of Hawaiians against open carry does not justify restricting the right to self‑defense. The Court rejected Hawaii’s reliance on historic anti‑poaching statutes as analogues, finding the analogies too remote from the Second Amendment’s core purpose. Dissenting opinions argued that older hunting laws could support the state’s approach.

The ruling reinforces the Supreme Court’s Bruen test for gun‑law reviews and signals that state attempts to create presumptive gun‑free zones on private property without clear historical precedent are likely to be struck down.