Free exercise of religion: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Free exercise of religion,” part of the First Amendment area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 47 decisions, newest first

• Mahmoud v. Taylor
  145 S. Ct. 2332Decided June 27, 20256–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Ramirez v. Collier
  142 S. Ct. 1264Decided March 24, 20228–1John G. Roberts Jr.
• Tanzin v. Tanvir
  141 S. Ct. 486Decided December 10, 20208–0Clarence Thomas
• Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
  140 S. Ct. 2049Decided July 8, 20207–2Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Zubik v. Burwell
  578 U.S. 403Decided May 16, 20168–0Per curiam
• Holt v. Hobbs
  574 U.S. 352Decided January 20, 20159–0Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores
  573 U.S. 682Decided June 30, 20145–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
  565 U.S. 171Decided January 11, 20129–0John G. Roberts Jr.
• Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California v. Leo P. Martinez
  561 U.S. 661Decided June 28, 20105–4Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Alberto R. Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao Do Vegetal
  546 U.S. 418Decided February 21, 20068–0John G. Roberts Jr.
• Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of StrattonLaw held unconstitutional
  536 U.S. 150Decided June 17, 20028–1John Paul Stevens
• City of Boerne v. P. F. FloresLaw held unconstitutional
  521 U.S. 507Decided June 25, 19976–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Pichardo v. City of HialeahLaw held unconstitutional
  508 U.S. 520Decided June 11, 19939–0Anthony M. Kennedy
• Lamb's Chapel and John Steigerwald v. Center Moriches Union Free School DistrictLaw held unconstitutional
  508 U.S. 384Decided June 7, 19939–0Byron R. White
• Employment Division v. Smith
  494 U.S. 872Decided April 17, 19906–3Antonin Scalia
• Jimmy Swaggart Ministries v. Board of Equalization of California
  493 U.S. 378Decided January 17, 19909–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Frazee v. Illinois Department of Employment Security
  489 U.S. 829Decided March 29, 19899–0Byron R. White
• Employment Division v. Smith
  485 U.S. 660Decided April 27, 19885–3John Paul Stevens
• Richard E. Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association
  485 U.S. 439Decided April 19, 19885–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz
  482 U.S. 342Decided June 9, 19875–4William H. Rehnquist
• Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida
  480 U.S. 136Decided February 25, 19878–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Bowen v. Roy
  476 U.S. 693Decided June 11, 19868–1Warren E. Burger
• Goldman v. Weinberger
  475 U.S. 503Decided March 25, 19865–4William H. Rehnquist
• Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 478Decided June 17, 19854–4
• United States v. Lee
  455 U.S. 252Decided February 23, 19829–0Warren E. Burger
• Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc.
  452 U.S. 640Decided June 22, 19815–4Byron R. White
• Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security DivisionLaw held unconstitutional
  450 U.S. 707Decided April 6, 19818–1Warren E. Burger
• Jones v. Wolf
  443 U.S. 595Decided July 2, 19795–4Harry A. Blackmun
• McDaniel v. PatyLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 618Decided April 19, 19788–0Warren E. Burger
• Wooley v. Maynard et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
  430 U.S. 705Decided April 20, 19776–3Warren E. Burger
• Parker Seal Co. v. Cummins
  429 U.S. 65Decided November 2, 19764–4
• Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for the United States of America and Canada v. Milivojevich
  426 U.S. 696Decided June 21, 19767–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Wisconsin v. YoderLaw held unconstitutional
  406 U.S. 205Decided May 15, 19727–0Warren E. Burger
• Cruz v. Beto
  405 U.S. 319Decided March 20, 19728–1Per curiam
• Dewey v. Reynolds Metals Co.
  402 U.S. 689Decided June 1, 19714–4
• Presbyterian Church in the United States v. Mary Elizabeth Blue Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church
  393 U.S. 440Decided January 27, 19699–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Solomon v. South Carolina
  382 U.S. 204Decided December 6, 19656–3Per curiam
• Cooper v. Pate
  378 U.S. 546Decided June 22, 19649–0Per curiam
• Sherbert v. VernerLaw held unconstitutional
  374 U.S. 398Decided June 17, 19637–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Massachusetts, Inc.
  366 U.S. 617Decided May 29, 19616–3Earl Warren
• Braunfeld v. Brown
  366 U.S. 599Decided May 29, 19615–4Earl Warren
• Kreshik v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church of North America
  363 U.S. 190Decided June 6, 19609–0Per curiam
• Poulos v. New Hampshire
  345 U.S. 395Decided April 27, 19537–2Stanley F. Reed
• Fowler v. Rhode IslandLaw held unconstitutional
  345 U.S. 67Decided March 9, 19539–0William O. Douglas
• Kedroff v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North AmericaLaw held unconstitutional
  344 U.S. 94Decided November 24, 19528–1Stanley F. Reed
• Niemotko v. Maryland
  340 U.S. 268Decided January 15, 19519–0Fred M. Vinson
• Kunz v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
  340 U.S. 290Decided January 15, 19518–1Fred M. Vinson

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error