Supreme Court Allows Concealed Guns in Stores, Voiding 5 States' Restrictions

Q: With Hawaii's gun law struck down, which state's similar firearm restrictions could be the next to fall?

Maryland is the clearest candidate, with New York close behind. The Hawaii ruling targeted a “default no-guns on private property” rule that required express permission before someone could carry a firearm into businesses or other private property open to the public. Maryland has a nearly identical private-building consent rule, and a petition challenging it has already been before the Supreme Court. Lower courts have also treated Maryland’s law as highly vulnerable under the Supreme Court’s 2022 *Bruen* framework. New York is in a similar position. Its comparable provision in the Concealed Carry Improvement Act has already been blocked by the Second Circuit, which held that the state failed to show a historical tradition supporting such a broad ban on carrying firearms on private property open to the public without the owner’s consent. New Jersey and parts of California have also faced challenges to similar restrictions, and Maryland courts have separately scrutinized local gun limits such as those in Montgomery County. But if the question is which state’s similar statewide restriction could be next to fall after Hawaii, Maryland stands out because its rule is described as virtually identical and remains under active Supreme Court scrutiny.

Q: What must business owners now do to legally prohibit firearms in their stores following the Supreme Court's ruling?

Business owners must now **affirmatively prohibit guns** on their property if they want them barred. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, the default is that lawful gun carriers may bring firearms into private businesses unless the owner clearly says no. In practice, that generally means owners need to provide **explicit notice** of a firearms ban. The related legal background indicates this is commonly done through **clear posted signage at entrances**, **verbal notice to customers**, or **written store or company policies** stating that firearms are not allowed. If a customer is notified that guns are prohibited and refuses to comply or leave, that person can then be subject to **trespass enforcement**, because the owner’s property rights still control access to the premises. The exact form of notice can vary by state and local law, but the key change from Hawaii’s struck-down law is that owners can no longer rely on a blanket rule requiring visitors to get permission before carrying. Instead, the owner must **opt out clearly and expressly** if they want firearms banned inside the store.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 25

A 6-3 Supreme Court ruling said licensed gun owners may carry concealed firearms into stores and other private property open to the public unless the owner expressly objects.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote that California- and Hawaii-style default bans violate the Second Amendment by blocking permit holders from routine stops such as gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and malls.
The decision strikes down laws in Hawaii, California, New York, New Jersey and Maryland, reversing blue-state efforts to treat broad swaths of daily life as gun-free by default.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissenting with the other liberals, said there is no constitutional right to enter private property with a firearm without the owner's permission.
Wolford v. Lopez builds on the court's 2022 concealed-carry ruling and last week's pro-gun decisions, while leaving intact owners' power to ban firearms on their own property.

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Los Angeles Times1d ago

Supreme Court Extends Gun Rights, Allows Concealed Carry in Private Places, Strikes Down State Laws

The New York Times1d ago

Supreme Court Overturns Hawaii Gun Law on Private Property Carry

Fox News1d ago

Supreme Court Rules for Concealed Carry Holders in Hawaii Gun Control Case

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With Hawaii's gun law struck down, which state's similar firearm restrictions could be the next to fall?

How does this ruling redefine the balance between Second Amendment rights and private property rights across the United States?

What must business owners now do to legally prohibit firearms in their stores following the Supreme Court's ruling?

2026 Supreme Court Decision Overturns Hawaii’s Gun Law, Expanding Concealed Carry Rights on Public-Facing Private Property

Overview

On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Hawaii’s 2023 law that required concealed-carry permit holders to get explicit permission before bringing firearms onto private property open to the public. This law, created in response to the 2022 Bruen decision, had reversed the usual rule by banning guns unless owners said otherwise. The Supreme Court’s ruling immediately changed the rules for gun owners in Hawaii, clarifying that the Second Amendment protects carrying firearms in public-facing private spaces unless property owners clearly prohibit it. This decision sets a new standard for similar laws in other states.

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