Supreme Court Decision Strikes Down Hawaii Carry Restrictions

This week the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important decision on a gun rights case challenging restrictive laws in Hawaii. In Wolford v. Lopez, the Supreme Court held that a Hawaiian law prohibiting concealed carry on private property (and business locations) violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Fox News explained: “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Hawaii on Thursday (6/25/26), handing concealed-carry permit holders a major victory in a 6-3 decision. The Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff in Wolford v. Lopez, who contested Hawaii’s state law requiring a property owner’s explicit permission to allow lawful gun owners to bring firearms into public businesses.” This affected the ability of residents to carry licensed handguns into stores, hotels, and other venues.

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“Hawaii’s law at issue here violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “This regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.”

The ruling reverses a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had upheld Hawaii’s restrictions after the state enacted them in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision.

Here is an analysis of the case from the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF):

For the second week in a row, the U.S. Supreme Court has handed a victory to gun owners after striking down Hawaii’s so-called “Vampire Rule” in Wolford v Lopez.

Last year, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to strike the law down. The Hawaii law, similar to statutes found in California, New York and other states, bans carry of firearms on property open to the public — grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and more — unless the owner posts a sign stating that carry is allowed on the premises. Prior laws permitted lawful carry in businesses open to the public unless the owner affirmatively requested that guns not be carried. The flipping of the default situation – from allowing guns unless denied, to banning all guns unless invited – created a de facto public carry ban that … the Supreme Court has held to violate the Second Amendment.

“Our stance is that one of the most fundamental underlying principles of the Second Amendment is the right to carry in public for self-defense,” said SAF Exec. Director Adam Kraut. “If a business does not want you to carry a firearm on the premises, the burden should be on the proprietor, not the private citizen, which would be in line with the ‘no soliciting’ or ‘no shoes, no shirt, no service’ signs we’re all familiar with. Today the Supreme Court told Hawaii that such transparent attempts at banning constitutionally protected conduct will not be tolerated.”

“The Supreme Court rightfully overturned the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Wolford and now the Second Amendment rights of Hawaii’s residents are one step closer to being fully restored,” said SAF Exec. V.P. Alan M. Gottlieb. “This law was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to disarm peaceable citizens, and we’re grateful the Supreme Court saw through the ruse. With this precedent-setting ruling in hand, other states that have similar laws in place should be on notice – SAF is coming after you[.]”