Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down California Ban on Open Carry of Firearms

The ban violates a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling because open carry is ‘part of this Nation’s history and tradition,’ the new ruling says.

A view of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco on June 12, 2017. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A divided federal appeals court struck down California’s ban on open carry of firearms in most parts of the state, finding it violates the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled 2–1 in favor of a gun owner, finding the state prohibition on open carry of guns in counties that have more than 200,000 residents violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.