SCOTUS declined to hear a major challenge to New York’s restrictive gun carry law, letting a lower court ruling stand. This leaves in place rules many believe directly violate the Second Amendment.
Key Facts:
- The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to New York’s carry restrictions on April 8, 2025.
- The law was passed shortly after SCOTUS’s 2022 Bruen decision and was seen as a direct response to it.
- The 2nd Circuit Court ruled in favor of New York in Antonyuk et al. v. James in October 2024.
- The law bans concealed carry in places like schools, parks, theaters, and bars, and requires applicants to prove “good moral character.”
- Gun Owners of America criticized both the 2nd Circuit and SCOTUS for allowing the law to stand.
The Rest of the Story: New York Gun Law SCOTUS Ruling
After the landmark Bruen decision in 2022, which struck down New York’s prior concealed carry restrictions, the state swiftly passed a new law.
Critics called it more restrictive than the one the Supreme Court had just ruled unconstitutional.
The revised law defined large parts of the state—schools, parks, bars, and more—as “sensitive locations” where carrying a firearm is prohibited.
It also added a new requirement: applicants must demonstrate “good moral character” to receive a concealed carry permit.
Though plaintiffs challenged the law in federal court, the 2nd Circuit upheld it.
The Supreme Court initially asked the appeals court to reconsider in light of United States v. Rahimi, but the lower court reaffirmed its earlier position.
On Monday, SCOTUS declined to take the case again—effectively letting the law stand.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to New York’s 2022 concealed carry law.
Read the full story: https://t.co/sRy81ZDDFf pic.twitter.com/CJKGuM5dER
— The Center Square (@thecentersquare) April 9, 2025
Commentary: Why This SCOTUS Decision Should Alarm Gun Owners
This decision—or lack of one—from the Supreme Court is deeply disappointing.
After ruling in Bruen that states cannot impose arbitrary barriers to public carry, the Court is now standing aside while New York enforces a law that appears even more burdensome.
It’s hard to understand how a law that limits carry in nearly every public space and forces citizens to prove their character squares with the Second Amendment.
It’s also frustrating for legal consistency.
The Bruen decision set a clear standard, rejecting subjective criteria like “need” or “character.”
Yet now the Court is allowing a lower court to bring those same vague standards back under a different name.
What changed?
Why would SCOTUS pass up a prime opportunity to reinforce its own precedent?
By refusing to hear this case, the Court may be inviting more states to test the limits of the Second Amendment with creative workarounds.
Gun rights groups like Gun Owners of America are right to be concerned.
Their president, Erich Pratt, said the appeals court’s ruling was a “slap in the face” to both gun owners and the Justices themselves.
He’s not wrong.
If you live in New York and believe in the right to self-defense, this is just one more reason to think long and hard about staying.
Elected officials there continue to prioritize control over freedom.
And now, the courts are letting them get away with it.
The Bottom Line: New York Gun Law SCOTUS Fallout
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take this case means New York’s controversial carry restrictions remain the law of the land—for now.
It’s a blow to those who hoped Bruen would lead to broader Second Amendment protections.
Gun owners across the country should take note: just because a right is affirmed by the Court once doesn’t mean it’s secure.
The fight over the Second Amendment isn’t over.
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SCOTUS Lets New York Gun Law Stand
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