The U.S. Supreme Court seemed ready to strike down a New York law that restricts individuals from carrying concealed handguns outside the home for self-defense.

The law requires residents to obtain a license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver and demonstrate that "proper cause" exists for the permit. Residents must show that they have a great need for the license and that they face a "special or unique danger to their life."

A CNN report on this notes that Chief Justice John Roberts at one point pressed New York's solicitor general about the breadth of the law that requires an individual to show "proper cause" before obtaining such a license in locations typically open to the general public, even in rural areas.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh on their part were concerned about the high bar necessary to obtain a permit.

During their discussion, however, the justices did suggest that restrictions would be okay for sensitive areas such as schools and subways, but that the New York law as written was too broad.

The Biden administration supports New York and told the court in a brief that while the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms, the right is "not absolute."

(With input from agencies)