No State Constitutional Right to Carry a Firearm in Public: Hawaii Supreme Court

The court cited Hawaii’s ‘historical tradition’ to rule out the right to bear arms.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signs gun control legislation in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 2, 2023. Audrey McAvoy/AP Photo

Hawaii’s Supreme Court has ruled that the state does not provide a constitutional right to carry firearms in public, a deviation from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that affirmed such a right.

In December, Christopher Wilson was charged with a felony for violating three gun laws in Hawaii. Two of these laws restrict the possession of firearms and ammunition to the owner’s residence or business. A third law, HRS Section 134-9, authorizes the chief of police in each county to issue licenses for carrying firearms.