Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law restricting guns on private property that's open to public

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law that restricted gun carry on certain private property that is open to the public. In a 6–3 decision announced Thursday, the court ruled in Wolford v. Lopez that Hawaii’s requirement for concealed-carry permit holders to seek permission before bringing firearms onto places accessible to the public violates the Second Amendment. The justices held that the state must receive permission before carrying in locations such as gas stations, restaurants, and shops, where armed permit holders would otherwise carry. The ruling follows the Supreme Court’s 2022 framework expanding Second Amendment protections outside the home, and it aligns with that new approach rather than treating gun regulations automatically as permissible. The decision does not affect other Hawaii restrictions on guns in bars, beaches, parks, or sensitive sites like schools and government buildings. Hawaii’s law, known as the “vampire rule,” had been challenged by Maui County residents and the Hawaii Firearms Coalition.