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New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen

No. 20-843 SCOTUS · Decided Decided SCOTUS
Cert Granted: Apr 26, 2021 Argued: Nov 3, 2021 Decided: Jun 23, 2022


The Conclusion

**The Supreme Court held 6-3 that New York's "special need" requirement for concealed carry permits violated the Second Amendment.** The Court replaced the prior permissibility test with a historical tradition framework, holding that firearm regulations are constitutional only if consistent with founding-era practice. This decision established the analytical standard for evaluating Second Amendment challenges going forward.

CourtSupreme Court of the United States
Filed -
CL StatusActive
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No circuit court data for this case.

Cert GrantedApr 26, 2021
StatusActive
Filed (CL) -
View on CourtListener →
SCOTUS TMR-c618d52a Jul 25, 2026

Related Cases (3)

  • McDonald v. Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co.
    The opinion cites McDonald v. Chicago (not McDonald v. Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co.) as precedent establishing that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
  • Elk v. Wilkins
    The opinion does not appear to cite Elk v. Wilkins in the provided excerpt, which discusses lower court precedents on Second Amendment interpretation and textual analysis from Heller.
  • Worcester v. Georgia
    Worcester v. Georgia is cited for the legal principle that historical analysis and precedent are essential to interpreting constitutional provisions and their original meaning.

Case Analysis

Overview

New York required concealed carry permit applicants to show special need beyond ordinary self-defense, effectively excluding most citizens from carrying guns outside their homes. The Supreme Court struck it down 6-3 in June 2022, replacing the two-part test with a historical tradition test: a firearm regulation is constitutional only if consistent with founding-era tradition. Bryan covers Bruen as the framework every subsequent Second Amendment case, Rahimi, Cargill, and all active gun law challenges, runs through.

Conclusion

**The Supreme Court held 6-3 that New York's "special need" requirement for concealed carry permits violated the Second Amendment.** The Court replaced the prior permissibility test with a historical tradition framework, holding that firearm regulations are constitutional only if consistent with founding-era practice. This decision established the analytical standard for evaluating Second Amendment challenges going forward.

Notes

OT2021. Added via SCOTUS bulk import 2026-05-14

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