Massachusetts Gun Laws Apply to Out-of-Staters, Top Court Holds

Massachusetts’ current gun licensing laws apply to New Hampshire residents who bring their lawfully obtained weapons across state lines, the Supreme Judicial Court held in two opinions issued Tuesday.

“The Commonwealth’s nonresident firearm licensing scheme is facially consistent with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Justice Frank M. Gaziano wrote for the court in Commonwealth v. Marquis.

The opinions add to growing case law around how states can regulate weapons following the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which requires states facing Second Amendment challenges to ...