Second Amendment Case Tracker

Oral arguments were heard January 20, 2026. Hawaii's law bans licensed concealed carry holders from bringing a firearm into any business open to the public — restaurant, gas station, store — unless the owner has explicitly allowed it. Gun rights advocates call it the "vampire rule": the gun can only enter if invited. The Solicitor General argued alongside gun owners, opposing Hawaii's law. The Court appeared divided, with conservative justices expressing skepticism about historical analogues Hawaii relied on.

A ruling against Hawaii would make it much harder for states to create blanket "no guns by default" rules for businesses. Similar laws in California, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey could be at risk. This touches every state that issues concealed carry permits — affecting where millions of licensed carriers can lawfully carry in daily life.

Oral arguments were heard March 2, 2026. Federal law currently bans anyone who regularly uses illegal drugs — including marijuana — from owning a gun. Ali Hemani, who admitted to using marijuana every other day, was charged under this law. The 5th Circuit struck it down as unconstitutional as applied to him, and the government appealed. Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared skeptical of the broad prohibition. A narrow ruling rather than a full overturn of the law appears most likely.

This directly affects millions of Americans who use marijuana legally under state law but are currently banned from owning a firearm under federal law. A ruling striking down or limiting the ban could remove that prohibition for a large swath of users. A ruling for the government keeps the current law in place.

The Court has distributed this case to eight consecutive conferences without taking action — one of the longest relist streaks in recent memory for a 2A case. No action was taken at the March 6, 2026 conference. Gun owners in California are currently protected by a separate court-issued hold while this plays out — but if cert is denied, that hold lifts and owners could face criminal penalties for possession.

If accepted and ruled unconstitutional, magazine limits in more than a dozen states could be struck down. If the Court declines, California's ban would take full effect and future challenges would face a much harder road.

The Court has been considering this alongside Duncan. Washington's law goes further than most states — it bans the manufacture and sale of standard-capacity magazines, not just possession. No action was taken at the March 6 conference. The Court is widely expected to handle this case and Duncan together.

A ruling against Washington could undo not just possession limits but commercial restrictions on standard-capacity magazines across multiple states. If the Court passes, Washington's law stands and the legal path for further challenges narrows.

The Court has been considering this alongside the Connecticut AR ban case below. No action was taken at the March 6 conference. The Third Circuit is expected to soon rule on New Jersey's similar ban — if it strikes the ban down, that would be the first appellate court to do so and could significantly increase pressure on SCOTUS to take an AR ban case.

If accepted and ruled unconstitutional, assault-weapon bans in Illinois, California, New York, Maryland, and several other states could be at risk. A denial leaves those bans in place and this legal strategy loses ground — though the issue will likely return in a future case.

Connecticut's ban is one of the oldest and broadest in the country. The 2nd Circuit upheld it in August 2025. No action was taken at the March 6 conference. The Court is treating this as a companion to Viramontes and will likely act on both simultaneously.

Same stakes as Viramontes — a ruling against Connecticut could threaten semi-auto rifle bans nationwide. The Court may choose to take one or both AR cases together, or wait for a better-developed case from another circuit before weighing in.

The 7th Circuit upheld Illinois's ban in September 2025, calling crowded public transit a "sensitive place" where carry can be restricted. Petitioners filed their reply brief March 3, 2026. The case is now distributed for the March 20, 2026 conference — the Court's next scheduled opportunity to vote on whether to take the case. Orders are expected Monday, March 23.

If accepted and ruled unconstitutional, states and cities would have a much harder time banning guns on public transit. More broadly, a ruling would help define what qualifies as a "sensitive place" — a major unresolved question from the Court's 2022 Bruen decision that affects gun restrictions in schools, government buildings, stadiums, and more.