New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen

Decided June 23, 2022. Clarence Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 20-843 · 597 U.S. 1 · Cited 2,263 times

New York’s proper-cause requirement for obtaining an unrestricted license to carry a concealed firearm violates the Fourteenth Amendment in that it prevents law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov) (opens primary source in a new tab)

Clarence Thomas’s profile · All opinions since October Term 2017 · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2022). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-02. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).