A federal appeals court has handed New Jersey a significant win in the ongoing clash over gun rights, largely upholding its sweeping restrictions on where firearms can be carried.
In a 2-1 decision, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s limits on carrying guns in public spaces such as libraries, parks, hospitals, museums, beaches, zoos, and casinos do not violate the Second Amendment.
The ruling reverses a lower-court judge who had sided with gun rights advocates, citing the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision that struck down New York’s concealed carry restrictions. That landmark case set the bar for reviewing gun laws against the “historical tradition” of firearm regulation.
Writing for the majority, Judge Cheryl Ann Krause said the state’s law follows a pattern established long before modern disputes over the Second Amendment. “Our Nation has permitted restriction of firearms in discrete locations set aside for particular civic functions,” she noted, pointing to centuries-old practices where firearms were considered a threat to peace and safety.
Judge Cindy Chung joined the opinion, while Judge David Porter dissented, warning that labeling large swaths of the public sphere as “sensitive places” risks giving governments unchecked power to shrink gun rights.
The decision echoes similar rulings in California, Hawaii, and New York, where sensitive-place restrictions have been upheld. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court declined to wade into New York’s version of the law.
New Jersey’s restrictions were signed into law in late 2022 by Governor Phil Murphy after the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision. Supporters argue it shields residents from gun violence in crowded or vulnerable spaces. Attorney General Matthew Platkin praised the ruling as an affirmation that public safety can coexist with constitutional rights.
Gun rights groups, including the Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation, called the decision a dangerous precedent. “The court’s approach would not be tolerated in the context of any other constitutional right,” said Bill Sack of the foundation.
The fight is far from over, but for now, New Jersey’s map of gun-free zones remains intact.
