Plain-English summary
Court: Hawaii cannot bar licensed concealed-carry holders from carrying on private property open to the public without a
The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit and held that Hawaii’s rule barring licensed concealed-carry handgun holders from carrying on private property open to the public unless the owner expressly permits it violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with that holding.
Why this matters
The decision limits states’ ability to create broad, presumption-based bans on carrying firearms in places that are privately owned but open to the public (like shopping centers, retail stores, and some workplaces). It protects the ability of licensed carriers to keep and bear arms for self-defense in many common public settings, while leaving room for property owners to set rules in some circumstances.
Who may feel it
- Licensed concealed-carry permit holders in Hawaii and other states with similar laws
- Private property owners and managers of places open to the public (malls, stores, restaurants, event venues)
- State and local governments that regulate where firearms may be carried
- Members of the public who encounter armed permit holders in public-access spaces