SAF Files Reply Brief with Supreme Court in Public Transit Carry Ban Case
Posted on: Mar 03, 2026
BELLEVUE, Wash. — March 3, 2026 — The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a reply in support of its petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court in Schoenthal v. Raoul, SAF’s challenge to Illinois’ ban on public transit carry.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022 and challenges the public transit firearms carry ban in Illinois. To lawfully carry a firearm in the state, residents are required to obtain not only a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID), but also a concealed carry license. However, even with both the FOID card and a carry license, Illinois still bans carrying a firearm on “…any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, and any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds.”
“One of the animating principles behind the Second Amendment is the ability to be armed in public in case of confrontation,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “The practical effect of banning carry on public transit is obvious – anyone who relies on it faces a de facto ban on their ability to carry anywhere. There is no historical support for the categorical ban of permitted carry on all public transportation, and without that the Second Amendment and Supreme Court have held that this law must be struck down.”
A District Court in Illinois originally granted summary judgment in favor of SAF and its partners in the case, agreeing the public transit carry ban was unconstitutional. On appeal, the Seventh Circuit reversed, allowing the ban to remain in place. SAF is joined in the case by the Firearms Policy Coalition and three private citizens.
“There’s no doubt these ‘sensitive places’ laws do little in terms of thwarting criminals from carrying a firearm on public transit,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “In fact, the ban only forces peaceable citizens to disarm, leaving them and those around them more vulnerable to criminal violence. The Second Amendment equally protects your right to carry for self-defense, whether you take the train to work or drive your car.”
For more information visit SAF.org.
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Matt Coffey
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