SCOTUS Decides How Far States May Regulate Concealed Carry in Public

Jennifer Rust : Jun 25, 2026
PJ Media

In the court's opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Hawaii's "regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives."

[PJMedia.com] Can citizens who have been trained and have concealed carry licenses actually carry concealed in shops or other private property open to the public without being given express permission by the property owner? (Image: Pexels)

Or, like a vampire in the teen hit Vampire Diaries, will the license holder have to have an invitation to enter?

That's the question the Supreme Court was asked to consider in Wolford v. Lopez, which was argued before the court in January 2026.

In a 6-3 decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that a Hawaii law banning concealed carry at businesses and other types of private property that are open to the public is unconstitutional. In the court's opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Hawaii's "regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives."

"Hawaii's law prohibiting licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the property owner's express authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments," the ruling concluded. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Beginnings

In 2023, Hawaii passed Act 52, prohibiting carrying weapons on any private property, such as parks, beaches, and areas considered sensitive, such as bars, restaurants that serve alcohol, and financial institutions. The law would require every concealed carry permit holder to have express permission from a property owner—either verbally, in written form, or in posted signage. As sister site Bearing Arms' writer Cam Edwards wrote in January:

This case challenges Hawaii's "Vampire Rule," which makes it a crime for licensed concealed-carry permit holders to bring a handgun onto private property open to the public (e.g., stores, restaurants, etc.) without the owner's explicit permission. Hawaii essentially inverted the default to "no guns allowed" unless the owner affirmatively consents...

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