On June 23, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
The case involved New York’s requirement that applicants demonstrate “proper cause” in order to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon in most public places. Simply put, you could not carry your firearm for self protection unless you had a reason the police department thought was good enough. The Court held that New York’s proper cause requirement violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
The Court also specifically identified the “good reason” provision of Massachusetts law to be pretty much the same as New York’s proper cause requirement. Consequently, authorities in Massachusetts can no longer deny, or impose restrictions on, a license to carry because the applicant lacks a sufficiently good reason to carry a firearm. If you’re not a “prohibited person” or “unsuitable,” the licensing authority must issue an unrestricted license to carry.
So what does this mean for you? When you get your gun license, your local police department can no longer place restrictions allowing you to only take your gun to the range and back home while locked in a box. With a unrestricted license, you are authorized to carry your firearm on your person just like your cell phone in all places not prohibited by law.
View the statement by the MA Attorney General acknowledging the Supreme Court ruling.