Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii’s “vampire rule” gun law

On June 25, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling in Wolford v. Lopez that declared Hawaii’s law requiring private‑property owners to give explicit permission before a concealed‑carry permit holder could bring a firearm onto stores, restaurants and other public‑facing venues unconstitutional. Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the statute “hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self‑defense as they go about their daily lives,” and held the law violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit’s upholding of the measure and sent the case back for further proceedings. The decision effectively nullifies the Hawaii statute and is expected to invalidate similar “vampire‑rule” provisions in California, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. The ruling leaves property owners free to ban guns by posting signs, but the default assumption now is that permit holders may carry unless expressly prohibited. The challenge was backed by the Trump administration and brought by three Maui residents and the Hawaii Firearms Coalition.