Upcoming Supreme Court Rulings - New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York

The third Supreme Court case of interest to us this term is New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York.

New York State requires a license to possess a firearm. To obtain a license in New York City, an applicant must apply to the police commissioner and the application process includes investigations into the applicant’s mental health history, criminal history, and moral character. New York issues two types of licenses: a carry license and a premises license. The premises license restricts the owner to possessing the firearm only in his dwelling at a specific address, except under limited circumstances; one of which is to transport the weapon directly to and from an authorized gun range. All authorized ranges are locate within the city limits. The owners who have sued wanted to be able to carry their weapons to ranges outside the city, or to another home they owned in another city.

The question before the US Supreme Court is whether the rule violates the Second Amendment, the Commerce Clause, or the Constitutional right to travel.