WASHINGTON | Sept. 8, 2026 — In Johnson v. Jacobson, the Liberty Justice Center represents a long-haul trucker with two state-issued firearm licenses who has been prohibited from exercising his Second Amendment rights in Minnesota. LJC filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to review the decision from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which held that Minnesota may force all nonresidents, even those who hold valid permits issued by other states, to obtain a Minnesota firearms permit before carrying a firearm there.
The case was brought on behalf of Jeffrey Johnson, a full-time, long-haul truck driver who holds firearm carry licenses issued by Georgia and Florida. Because Minnesota does not recognize permits issued by either state, he cannot carry a firearm for self-defense in Minnesota unless he obtains a Minnesota permit or Minnesota adds Georgia and Florida to its reciprocity list.
Minnesota requires a permit to carry a firearm in public or in a vehicle. Although Minnesota recognizes permits issued by most states, it excludes permits from 15 states, including Georgia and Florida. For interstate truck drivers like Johnson, this patchwork of state permit-recognition laws can force them to choose between giving up their ability to defend themselves or risk criminal prosecution.
On May 26, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the dismissal of Johnson’s Second Amendment claim. The court held that Minnesota’s refusal to recognize his out-of-state permits did not burden his right to bear arms because he could apply for a Minnesota permit. The Liberty Justice Center’s petition asks the Supreme Court to review that ruling, arguing that it improperly places the burden on Mr. Johnson and other interstate truck drivers like him to repeatedly prove that they are entitled to exercise a constitutional right.
“Once a person proves he is a law-abiding citizen, he is entitled to carry a gun in public for self-defense. Constitutional rights, the Second Amendment included, do not require someone to prove their worthiness to exercise their civil liberties over and over again,” said Ryan Morrison, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “Forcing someone to carry a Rolodex of firearm licenses to maintain his constitutional rights across the nation reduces the Second Amendment to second-class status and subjects it to an entirely different body of rules than the other rights secured by the Constitution.”
The Supreme Court has held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. Yet Minnesota’s permit-recognition policy prevents Johnson from carrying a firearm in the state based solely on the jurisdiction that issued his otherwise lawful permits.
The Liberty Justice Center’s petition asks the Court to take up this important question and protect the constitutional rights of Americans—including truck drivers who cross state lines every day to keep the country moving.
Johnson v. Jacobson was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on January 7, 2025.
The Liberty Justice Center’s filings in Johnson v. Jacobson are available here.