The Supreme Court extended the Second Amendment right to carry a handgun outside the home for the first time Thursday, in a 6-3 decision that struck down New York’s restrictions on concealed carry licenses.
The opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, found that the “Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
States such as New York could not require an applicant display a “special need” to have a firearm in order to carry one outside the home, the court ruled, compared to licensing schemes in 43 states where the government issues licenses to carry based on objective criteria.
