Supreme Court Petition Challenges Maryland Concealed Carry Restrictions

The Supreme Court received a petition Wednesday seeking review of Maryland laws that restrict where concealed carry permit holders may bring firearms. The filing comes four years after the court struck down a New York permitting system. The Second Amendment Foundation filed the petition for a writ of certiorari along with Maryland Shall Issue, the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association and four private citizens.

The petition states that some restrictions predate the 2022 ruling while others were enacted as part of the Gun Safety Act of 2023.

The petition describes prohibitions on carry in mass transit, restaurants, demonstrations, medical facilities and state parks. It also addresses a provision that requires permission to carry on private property open to the public. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit struck down portions of a similar New York law in a decision issued Monday.

A split between the Second and Fourth Circuits could increase the likelihood that the Supreme Court accepts the case.

Kraut said states have found ways to circumvent the 2022 ruling. SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb said residents in Maryland still face five years in jail for carrying a firearm in many public places. SAF Senior Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack said the court has already heard arguments in a related Hawaii case that could affect the Maryland challenge.

Democratic Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.