Overview

• The Court granted certiorari in Wolford v. Lopez to decide if Hawaii may bar licensed carriers from bringing handguns onto private property open to the public unless the owner affirmatively allows it.
• Review is limited to the reverse‑default question, leaving a separate dispute over reliance on post‑Reconstruction history outside the grant.
• Hawaii’s statute requires express permission by clear signage or specific verbal or written authorization before a permit holder may carry on publicly accessible private property.
• The Ninth Circuit upheld Hawaii’s rule, in direct conflict with the Second Circuit’s Antonyuk decision striking down New York’s similar provision, with a recent Third Circuit ruling also casting doubt on New Jersey’s version.
• The United States supported review in an amicus brief, noting multiple states adopted similar regimes after Bruen, and the case is slated for briefing this fall with a likely decision in the 2026 term.