It’s the end of the line for challenges to an Anne Arundel County law requiring gun shops to hand out educational pamphlets with firearms and ammunition.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied hearing an appeal from four gun shop owners who claimed the law was unconstitutional because it violated their freedom of speech.

The court deferred to a decision made by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in January. That decision stated that the county law was in-bounds and required the shop owners to continue handing out pamphlets.

“We’re pleased that all courts that have examined Anne Arundel County’s law requiring the distribution of suicide prevention and conflict resolution materials with the sale of guns and ammunition have found it to be constitutional and affirmed it as a reasonable step to mitigate the risk of suicide,” said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. “My hope is that gun stores see providing this information as a good business practice—one that respects customers’ rights while demonstrating a commitment to their safety.”

Eric Tirschwell of Everytown Law, a gun safety group, says the decision sets an important precedent.

“We do see a growing trend of particularly state and local jurisdictions taking up these types of mandates,” Tirschwell said. “This is lifesaving information.”

The law stemmed from the 2018 Capital Gazette in Annapolis shooting that killed five and rocked the community.

“That bill passed 7-0,” said County Executive Stuart Pittman. “That's quite a feat in Anne Arundel County because we have diverse political viewpoints to say the least on our county council, and they all came together in support of this bill.”

The council hoped that the pamphlets could reduce suicide and domestic violence. The county also hands out free gun locks at some libraries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gun suicides rose by 11% from 2019 to 2022 with an estimated 27,000 to 50,000 deaths.