Truck Driver Takes Concealed Carry Battle to Supreme Court
A long-haul truck driver is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Minnesota’s refusal to recognize his Florida and Georgia concealed-carry licenses when he travels through the state.
Challenge centers on state permit recognition
The case, Johnson v. Jacobson, was filed on behalf of Jeffrey Johnson, a full-time truck driver represented by the Liberty Justice Center. According to the petition, Johnson hauls freight throughout the United States and makes regular trips to or through Minnesota.
Johnson holds firearm carry licenses issued by Florida and Georgia. His petition argues that Minnesota’s refusal to recognize those permits forces him to disarm whenever he crosses the state line, despite having been approved to carry in the two states that issued his licenses.
Petition raises national reciprocity question
The case asks whether a state may require a nonresident to obtain an additional permit before carrying a handgun, even when that individual has already been licensed by another state.
The broader issue is whether states must recognize concealed-carry permits issued elsewhere, a concept commonly referred to as concealed-carry reciprocity. Permit requirements and recognition policies currently vary among states, creating different rules for drivers who routinely cross state lines.
Johnson’s petition contends that the Constitution limits Minnesota’s ability to deny recognition to his out-of-state licenses. The state’s position in the case will determine how it responds to that argument.
Supreme Court has not agreed to hear case
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear Johnson’s appeal. If the justices grant review, the case could address the extent to which states may enforce their own concealed-carry licensing and recognition requirements against travelers who hold permits from other jurisdictions.
Until the court takes further action, the Minnesota restrictions challenged in the petition remain in effect.
