The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a Hawaii law that required licensed gun owners to obtain permission before carrying firearms onto private property open to the public, delivering another major victory for gun-rights advocates across the country, including in New Jersey.

In a 6-3 ruling in the case known as Wolford v. Lopez, the court held that Hawaii’s law violated the Second Amendment by effectively prohibiting concealed-carry permit holders from bringing firearms into businesses, restaurants, hotels and other privately owned locations open to the public unless property owners explicitly granted permission.

Writing for the majority, the court concluded that Hawaii’s requirement was inconsistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation, the constitutional test established by the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that had upheld the Hawaii law.

The Supreme Court’s decision does not resolve all aspects of Hawaii’s firearms law. The justices declined to address several separate restrictions involving so-called sensitive locations, including certain public recreational areas and establishments serving alcohol.

Responding to the ruling, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Davenport sharply criticized the court’s decision.

“Today’s decision in Wolford v. Lopez is the Supreme Court’s latest dangerous blow to public safety,” Davenport said in a statement. “This badly mistaken decision will make it harder for businesses open to the public to exclude guns from their property, putting additional burdens on them to keep their patrons safe. That outcome doesn’t make anyone safer.”

Davenport said New Jersey would continue pursuing policies aimed at reducing gun violence despite the ruling.

“While the Supreme Court seems intent on making it harder for states to prevent gun violence, we won’t back down from our efforts to keep the public safe,” she said.

According to data obtained earlier by TLS, since the Bruen decision, Toms River Township has approved more concealed carry permits than any other municipality in the state, with 1,719 permits approved.