Supreme Court could act Monday on challenge to Maine's 72-hour gun waiting period; Maryland case pushed back again
The justices were scheduled to consider Beckwith v. Frey at their Oct. 16 private conference, while the challenge to Maryland's "sensitive places" law was rescheduled for a third time.
As of 1:50 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court could announce as soon as Monday, Oct. 19, whether it will hear a challenge to Maine's 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases, after the case was distributed for the justices' private conference on Friday, Oct. 16, according to the court's docket.
The petition, Beckwith v. Frey (No. 26-258), asks the court to review an April 3, 2026, decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, which ruled against the gun owners who challenged the waiting period. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey filed a waiver of his right to respond.
Twenty-five states led by Montana, the Second Amendment Foundation and the National Rifle Association, and the Buckeye Institute filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting review, according to the docket.
The court typically releases an orders list on the Monday after a conference. It can grant a case, deny it, ask the other side for a response, or take no action and reconsider it later. If the court took no action on Monday, that would not be a ruling either way.
Maryland case rescheduled again
A separate challenge to Maryland's law banning concealed carry in many "sensitive places," Novotny v. Moore (No. 25-1324), is not expected to be acted on Monday. The docket shows the case was distributed for the Oct. 16 conference and then marked "Rescheduled" on Oct. 13, the third time it has been distributed for a conference and then rescheduled since September; it was previously set for the Sept. 28 and Oct. 9 conferences.
The petitioners, who include Maryland Shall Issue, are challenging a Jan. 20, 2026, decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
Why it matters
Waiting periods and sensitive-places restrictions are among the most common state gun laws being tested after the court's 2022 Bruen decision, and the justices' choices about which cases to take will shape how far states can go.
Sources
- Supreme Court of the United States, Docket No. 26-258, Beckwith v. Frey: https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26-258.html
- Supreme Court of the United States, Docket No. 25-1324, Novotny v. Moore: https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-1324.html
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, Beckwith v. Frey, No. 25-1160, decided April 3, 2026 (via Justia): https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca1/25-1160/25-1160-2026-04-03.html
