A U.S. appeals court has ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most populated areas is unconstitutional, violating the Second Amendment. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the state's law inconsistent with historical firearm traditions, citing the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision. The ruling partially reverses a lower court's decision and notes that open carry predates the Bill of Rights and is permitted in over 30 states.