New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. City of New York

New York state law recognized two types of handgun licenses, one of which was a premises license that allowed a licensee to keep a registered handgun at a specific home or business. In 2001, New York City (the city) (defendant) adopted an ordinance that allowed premises licensees to practice with their handguns if they traveled directly to and from an authorized shooting range with the gun unloaded and in a locked container. The only authorized ranges were the seven in the city, most of which were open only to members and their guests. Licensees could not transport their handguns to ranges outside the city or to second homes without violating the ordinance. New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc., and other individuals (collectively, the gun owners) (plaintiffs) sued the city in federal district court, arguing that the ordinance’s restriction on transport to second homes and ranges outside the city violated the Second Amendment. The district court rejected the gun owners’ claim and denied the requested injunctive relief. The court of appeals affirmed, and the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari. While the case was pending before the Supreme Court, the city amended the ordinance so that licensees could transport their guns to a second home or a shooting range outside the city. The gun owners then argued that the new law might still violate the Second Amendment by preventing people who were transporting firearms from making routine stops, such as for gasoline or food. The city asserted that the new law permitted routine stops.