Supreme Court Decision Reinforces New York Gun Laws and Ghost Gun Measures

US flag flying outside a neoclassical government building

Supreme Court upholds New York’s strict concealed carry law and Biden’s ghost gun regulations, delivering a double blow to Second Amendment advocates despite previous pro-gun rulings.

Quick Takes

The Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act, leaving intact bans on firearms in “sensitive locations” and “good moral character” requirements for permit applicants.
Justices simultaneously upheld Biden administration rules regulating “ghost guns” in the Garland v. VanDerStok case.
New York’s law was created in response to the Court’s 2022 Bruen decision that struck down the state’s previous century-old gun restrictions.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling remains in effect, which blocked requirements for handgun applicants to disclose social media accounts.

Court Declines to Hear New York Gun Law Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to take up a challenge to New York’s controversial gun laws, effectively allowing the state to continue enforcing restrictions on where firearms can be carried and requiring handgun owners to demonstrate “good moral character.” The decision came without explanation from the justices, upholding a prior appeals court ruling that maintained key provisions of New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act. This leaves intact prohibitions on carrying firearms in “sensitive locations” such as public transportation, hospitals, schools, and entertainment venues throughout the state.

The law in question was enacted in 2022 following the Supreme Court’s landmark Bruen decision that struck down New York’s previous century-old restrictions requiring individuals to show “proper cause” to obtain a concealed carry permit. Lawmakers in New York quickly responded by drafting new regulations that allowed more people to obtain handgun licenses while simultaneously imposing new restrictions on where those guns could be carried. The current law also requires character references and family contact information from applicants seeking concealed carry permits.

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to New York’s gun law, leaving in place restrictions on concealed carry in “sensitive locations” like public transit, parks, hospitals, schools, houses of worship, and entertainment venues. pic.twitter.com/tCFLfXCIV0

— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) April 8, 2025

Mixed Reactions to Court’s Decision

New York Governor Kathy Hochul praised the Court’s decision to let the state’s regulations stand. “New York’s strong gun safety laws save lives,” said the Democratic governor in response to the ruling. The decision represents a significant victory for state officials who have argued that public safety concerns justified the restrictions, particularly in densely populated areas like New York City. Despite some provisions of the law being struck down by lower courts, the core restrictions on sensitive locations and character requirements remain intact.

Gun rights advocates expressed disappointment with the Court’s reluctance to take up the case. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals had previously struck down some aspects of the law, including requirements for handgun license applicants to disclose their social media accounts and provisions making it a crime to carry a concealed gun on private property without explicit owner consent. However, the appeals court allowed the state to continue enforcing most of the sensitive location restrictions and character requirements that form the backbone of New York’s regulatory approach.

Ghost Gun Regulations Also Upheld

In a double blow to Second Amendment advocates, the Supreme Court also upheld Biden administration regulations on “ghost guns” in the case Garland v. VanDerStok. This decision validates the ATF Final Rule 2021-05F, which redefined what constitutes a “firearm” to include partially completed pistol frames and other gun parts that can be easily assembled into functioning weapons without serial numbers. The rule aims to close loopholes that have allowed individuals to purchase and build unserialized firearms without background checks.

The Court’s decisions on both the New York law and ghost gun regulations indicate a potential shift in how the conservative-majority Court approaches gun rights cases. Despite delivering the landmark Bruen decision in 2022 that expanded Second Amendment protections, the Court has been selective about which gun law challenges it takes up, recently upholding certain restrictions such as those prohibiting gun ownership by individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders. For New York gun owners, the practical impact remains significant: they must continue proving “good moral character” for permits and face extensive restrictions on where they can legally carry their firearms.