Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law requiring permission to carry guns in stores and hotels

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law requiring permission to carry guns into stores and hotels, issuing a 6–3 decision on Thursday. The ruling allows people to carry firearms onto privately owned property such as shopping malls and gas stations unless the owner specifically posts restrictions banning guns. The decision follows closely after the court ruled that marijuana users cannot be completely barred from owning firearms. The court’s action was described as a win for the Trump Republican administration, which argued the measure violates the Second Amendment, and the law was sometimes dubbed a “vampire rule” because it required authorization to enter. Hawaii said the 2023 law preserved private owners’ discretion about guns on their properties, enacted as more people received concealed carry permissions after the 2022 Supreme Court decision. The case was filed by a gun rights group and three people from Maui, after a judge blocked the law but an appeals court allowed enforcement. The ruling addressed only stores and hotels; other Hawaii restrictions, such as parks and restaurants serving alcohol, were not directly challenged.