Politics

Following Supreme Court, Maryland Scraps ‘Good Reason’ Requirements For Wear And Carry Permits

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered the suspension of the state’s “good and substantial reason” to apply for Wear and Carry permits Tuesday.

The Supreme Court struck down a New York state law requiring “proper cause” for a citizen to obtain a concealed carry permit for handguns June 23. Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the majority opinion, said New York’s “proper cause” requirement violated the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing its citizens from practicing their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

“In light of the ruling and to ensure compliance with the Constitution, I am directing the Maryland State Police to immediately suspend utilization of the ‘good and substantial reason’ standard when reviewing applications for Wear and Carry Permits,” Hogan said in a statement. “It would be unconstitutional to continue enforcing this provision in state law. There is no impact on other permitting requirements and protocols.”

Maryland requires a citizen to obtain a Wear and Carry permit. The permit remains valid for two years and requires a renewal every three years. Being a “May Issue” state, the law requires applicants to be at least 18 years of age, not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, and have gone through an approved training course within two years prior to requesting a permit, according to Hershon Legal. (RELATED: ‘I’m Prepared To Go Back To Muskets’: New York Gov. Hochul Rages Over SCOTUS Overturning Concealed Carry Law)

An applicant who met the criteria also had to have a “good and substantial reason” to obtain the permit, including being the owner of a business, a member of law enforcement, or showing evidence of the need for personal protection, according to Hershon Legal. The governor scrapped the “good and substantial reasoning” requirement.

Maryland Shall Issue, a gun rights activist group, called the law “unconstitutional” due to the Court’s decision.

“The Court confirmed what we’ve long believed to be true; that there exists a right to carry a handgun for self-defense beyond one’s home. New York’s ‘proper cause’ requirement is indistinguishable from Maryland’s ‘good and substantial reason’ requirement for issuance of a carry permit. The opinion leaves no doubt that Maryland’s ‘good and substantial reason’ requirement is unconstitutional,” the organization said.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh previously lamented the Court’s ruling in a June 23 statement, warning of higher death counts and pain from gun violence across the nation.

“Today’s decision means more deaths and more pain in a country already awash in gun violence,” he said. “If the norm is that people can carry firearms, our neighborhoods, our streets and other public places will become more dangerous. It will make the lives of law enforcement more difficult and perilous. The epidemic of gun violence sweeping our nation demonstrates daily the folly of introducing more guns into this boiling cauldron.”