The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a challenge to Maine’s 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases. The Court denied review in Beckwith v. Frey, No. 26-258, on its Monday, October 19, 2026 order list. No justice noted a dissent or wrote a statement on the case, as first reported by AmmoLand’s Duncan Johnson.
Jurisdiction and status: Maine. The waiting period is in effect, and the case returns to the lower courts.
The Maine law and the case
Maine passed its waiting period in 2024, after the Lewiston mass shooting. Under it, most buyers must wait three days to take home a firearm, even after their background check clears. Challengers included Maine residents, firearms businesses and firearms instructor Andrea Beckwith.
According to AmmoLand, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker blocked the law with a preliminary injunction in February 2025, finding the challengers likely to win under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen test. In April 2026, the First Circuit reversed. It reasoned that buying a gun is not directly covered by the plain text of the Second Amendment and treated the waiting period as an ordinary commercial regulation, so Maine did not have to show a historical tradition supporting it. The petition filed with the Court asked the justices to take up that question.
The petition’s supporters included the Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA. AmmoLand reports Montana and 24 other states filed a friend-of-the-court brief backing the challengers.
A split between circuits
The challengers argued the First Circuit’s approach conflicts with the Tenth Circuit, which in Ortega v. Grisham found New Mexico’s seven-day waiting period unconstitutional after requiring historical justification. When federal appeals courts disagree like this, the Supreme Court often steps in eventually, but it does not have to, and it gave no reason for passing on this case.
It’s important to be clear about what a denial means. As AmmoLand put it, “The denial is not a ruling on the constitutionality of Maine’s law.” It sets no national precedent either way. It simply leaves the First Circuit’s ruling in place for now.
What it means for Southeast gun owners
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia readers aren’t directly affected; the ruling covers Maine. But how courts treat the act of buying a firearm matters well beyond New England. The First Circuit’s view, that acquisition sits outside the Second Amendment’s plain text, could be cited by other states defending purchase restrictions. The Tenth Circuit’s opposite view gives challengers a road map. Until the Supreme Court settles it, the answer may depend on where you live.
The Court is not stepping back from the Second Amendment entirely. Guns.com has reported that the justices will hear arguments December 2 in two combined cases over “assault weapon” bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois: Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins.
GUN Crusade’s take: If you buy firearms when you travel or move, know the waiting-period rules in your destination state before you shop. Plan ahead rather than counting on a quick pickup, especially around weekends and holidays, which can stretch a short wait.
This is news, not legal advice. Laws change, and your situation may differ; check with a qualified attorney or your state and local authorities before acting.
