How many justices must vote to grant Supreme Court review under the Rule of Four?

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A person ascends the steps of the west facade of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., with its tall columns and a round fountain in the foreground. — Major Supreme Court Cases from the 2025–26 Term The west facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

Under the "Rule of Four," at least four of the nine justices on the Supreme Court of the United States must agree to grant a request for certiorari to review a case. This practice, which apparently developed in the late 19th century, allows the Court to exercise its discretion in selecting which cases to hear from the thousands of petitions it receives each term.12