WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court heard nearly two hours of argument Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in Wolford v. Lopez, a Second Amendment case that could decide whether states can make “no guns” the default rule for private property that’s open to the public—unless the owner gives express permission.
At the center is a Hawaii law passed after New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022). Hawaii’s rule generally bars licensed concealed carriers from bringing a handgun onto private property open to the public unless the property owner affirmatively says “yes.”
From the questioning, the Court’s conservative majority sounded skeptical of Hawaii’s approach, while several liberal justices pressed a competing frame: this isn’t a “carry” case so much as a property-consent case.
By Ammoland Editors & Staff

