The Supreme Court handed gun owners a major victory Thursday, striking down a Hawaii law that sharply restricted where concealed-carry permit holders could legally bring their firearms in a 6-3 decision.
In Wolford v. Lopez, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of challengers who argued Hawaii violated the Second Amendment by requiring property owners to give express permission before licensed concealed-carry permit holders could bring firearms onto private property open to the public, including businesses.
“Hawaii’s law at issue here violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “This regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.”
The decision overturns a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had upheld Hawaii’s restrictions after the state enacted the law in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 *Bruen* decision.
That ruling struck down New York’s “proper cause” requirement for concealed-carry permits and held that Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense.
In response, Hawaii rewrote its firearms laws, including a provision barring concealed-carry permit holders from bringing firearms onto another person’s private property, including businesses open to the public, unless the owner gave express authorization through posted signage or verbal or written permission.
The restriction became known among Second Amendment advocates as the “vampire rule” because lawful gun owners had to receive an invitation before entering private property while carrying a firearm.
Alito wrote the law could expose otherwise law-abiding concealed-carry permit holders to criminal prosecution for routine stops while carrying a firearm, including visits to a gas station, grocery store or pharmacy.
