Wolford v. Lopez strikes down Hawaii’s “default ban” — and Maryland’s version of the same law is next in line
By MDBayNews Staff
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today in Wolford v. Lopez that Hawaii’s law requiring licensed concealed-carry holders to obtain express permission before entering any private business open to the public violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments — and Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown responded by essentially proving the court’s point.
Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito said the Hawaii regime “hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.”
Maryland enacted an almost identical law. Starting October 1, 2023, Maryland’s SB 1 banned public carry in most buildings by default unless a building’s owner or agent provides express consent. The Fourth Circuit had already weighed in: in Kipke v. Moore, a divided panel held that “Maryland’s prohibition on carrying guns on private property held open to the public is unconstitutional.” Today’s decision makes that conclusion national.
AG Brown’s statement called today’s ruling a threat to “restaurants, stores, and public spaces Marylanders visit every day.” What he didn’t mention: the people now allowed to carry in those spaces are licensed permit holders who cleared Maryland’s rigorous screening process. Research consistently shows permit holders are convicted of crimes at a fraction of the rate of the general population.
Brown’s framing — that Maryland is “less safe” when laws like this are struck down — treats vetted, law-abiding permit holders as a public threat. The Supreme Court, the Fourth Circuit, and the data say otherwise.
Maryland’s SB 1 was always on borrowed time. Today, the clock ran out.
Sources: Supreme Court majority opinion, Wolford v. Lopez, No. 24-1046 (June 25, 2026); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Kipke v. Moore; Maryland SB 1 / Gun Safety Act of 2023; Maryland Shall Issue, summary of SB 1 provisions; NRA Institute for Legislative Action, analysis of Wolford v. Lopez and concealed carry permit holder conviction data (citing Texas and Colorado statistics); Reason, “SCOTUS Overturns Hawaii’s Default Rule Against Guns on Private Property Open to the Public” (June 25, 2026); Newsweek, “Ketanji Brown Jackson Questions Fellow Justices on Concealed Carry Ruling” (June 25, 2026).
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