New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) was a Supreme Court decision on the right to carry firearms in public. New York required applicants for an unrestricted concealed-carry license to show "proper cause," a special need for self-defense beyond that of the general public. The Court, 6-3 in an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, held that this requirement violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

The opinion went beyond licensing by rejecting the two-step approach many lower courts had used, which balanced a law's benefits against its burdens. Instead, courts must ask whether the Second Amendment's text covers the conduct and, if it does, whether the regulation is consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. The decision effectively ended "may-issue" systems in a handful of states and spurred challenges to many laws, from sensitive-place bans to age limits.

Gun-rights supporters see the ruling as a correction that treats the Second Amendment like other rights. Critics, including three dissenting justices, argue it ignores public safety and demands historical evidence that courts are not equipped to evaluate. See also District of Columbia v. Heller and shall-issue and may-issue permits permitting.