MD Gun Laws

Maryland is a Shall-Issue State with concealed weapons permits issued at the state level by the state police.

A permit to purchase, a background check and firearms registration are required to buy a handgun from a private individual. Private firearms sellers must process transfers of handguns and assault weapons through a licensed dealer or designated law enforcement agency, who then conducts a background check. In addition, Maryland has established a handgun roster that, subject to limited exceptions, lists the only handguns that dealers or any private sellers are allowed to sell in the state.

Open carry is legal in Maryland only for Maryland Wear/Carry Handgun Permit (WCHP) holders. In order to obtain a WCHP, applicants must be at least 21 years old and must show a good and substantial reason to carry a handgun. WCHPs require a state-approved 16-hour firearms training course that includes live-fire training. An additional 8 hours of training is required at each WCHP renewal. Permits are issued to residents and non-residents.  Some areas are off-limits, including rest areas and state parks. 

Maryland is a Castle Doctrine state. In Maryland, deadly force is only legal when defending one's self from the immediate threat of serious injury or death. A person must have reasonable grounds to believe himself or herself in apparent imminent or immediate danger of death or serious bodily harm from his or her assailant or potential assailant; must have in fact believed himself or herself in this danger; must not have been the aggressor or provoked the conflict; and the force used must have not been unreasonable and excessive, that is, the force must not have been more force than the exigency demanded. There is no duty to retreat inside one's home.

If Maryland requires a permit to carry a concealed firearm, how are those permits issued?

Shall Issue.

Does Maryland allow constitutional carry?

No.

Is open carry permitted in Maryland?

No.

Can you carry a concealed firearm in a vehicle in Maryland?

Only with a Maryland WCHP. For all others, firearms must be unloaded with neither the firearm nor any ammunition readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment. In the case the vehicle does not have a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked compartment other than the glove compartment or console.

Can you carry a concealed firearm at roadside rest areas in Maryland?

No. The display of firearms is prohibited. [Md. Admin. Code § 11.04.07.12] 

Can you carry a concealed firearm in state/national parks, state/national forests, and Wildlife Management Areas in Maryland?

No for state/national parks and state/national forests. [Md. Admin. Code § 08.01.07.14, Md. Admin. Code § 08.07.06.04] 

Yes for WMAs. [Md. Admin. Code § 10-408(d)]
 

Can you carry a firearm in restaurants that serve alcohol in Maryland?

Yes, but not if posted, provided you are not under the influence.

Are you required to notify a police officer that you're carrying a concealed firearm in Maryland?

No.

Are "No Weapons Allowed" signs enforced in Maryland?

Not mentioned in state statutes.

Does Maryland have preemption laws related to concealed carry (i.e. Does state law supersede local laws regarding the possession of handguns)?

Yes, except municipalities may regulate firearms and ammunition in, or within 100 yards of, a park, church, school, public building and other place of public assembly. [Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law § 4-209]

Does Maryland issue concealed carry permits to non-residents?

Yes.

Which states' permits does Maryland honor?

Maryland does not honor any other states’ permits/licences.
 

Which states honor permits from Maryland?

Alabama Indiana Montana South Dakota

Note: Firearms must be carried in accordance with the laws of the state you are visiting. Be sure to check the laws of the other state before traveling there with your firearms.

Which states honor permits from Maryland with restrictions?

Idaho (at least 21 years old)

Iowa (at least 21 years old)

Kentucky (at least 21 years old)

Michigan (resident permits only and at least 21 years old)

North Carolina (at least 21 years old)

Ohio (at least 21 years old)

Oklahoma (at least 21 years old)

Tennessee (at least 21 years old)

Texas (at least 21 years old)

Utah (at least 21 years old)

Virginia (at least 21 years old)

Wisconsin (at least 21 years old)

Anyone who can legally possess a firearm may carry it concealed in permitless carry states without a permit/license. Check each state’s page for more information and any restrictions that may apply.

Alaska (if at least 21 years old)

Arizona (if at least 21 years old)

Arkansas (if at least 21 years old)

Kansas(if at least 21 years old)

Maine (if at least 21 years old)

Mississippi (if at least 21 years old)

Missouri (if at least 19 years old)

New Hampshire (if at least 18 years old)

Vermont (if at least 18 years old)

West Virginia (if at least 21 years old) 

An applicant must:

• Be at least 18 years old (an applicant between 18 and 21 years of age may only be issued a wear and carry permit to possess a regulated firearm required for employment);
• Be a citizen of the United States or legal resident alien;
• Not have been convicted of a felony or of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year;
• Not have been convicted of a violent crime, including domestic violence;
• Not be subject to a restraining order or other similar court order;
• Not have been committed within the previous 10 years to any juvenile detention center for longer than 1 year;
• Not be a drug addict, habitual drunkard, an unlawful user of any controlled substance, or determined to be of unsound mind;
• Not have a mental illness;
• Not have received voluntary or involuntary treatment in a psychiatric hospital, mental institution, or similar treatment facility for any reason;
• Not, based on the results of investigation, exhibit a propensity for violence or instability;
• Not be a fugitive from justice;
• Not have been dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces;
• Not be subject to a firearms seizure order;
• Show good cause as to why he or she needs a firearm; and
• Meet federal law requirements.

$75

Initial permits expire on the last day of the holder’s birth month following 2 years after the date the permit is issued and may be renewed for successive periods of 3 years each. 

90 days

Link to application

Maryland will grant permits to non-residents. Non-residents use the same process as residents.

How to Apply for a Maryland Concealed Carry Permit

Complete a state-approved firearm training course; 16 hours are required.

Get fingerprints taken at an Electronic Fingerprint Processing Center authorized by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Download the application form.  They intend to have online applications in early 2019.

Complete and print the application. Send the completed application, along with the following items, to the address listed below:

• A copy of your firearms training certificate. Some departments accept copies, others require the original certificate;
• 2 passport style color photographs of yourself from the past 30 days; 
• The electronic fingerprint transmission receipt from step 2 above; and
• Application fee: A check or money order for $75 made payable to the “Maryland State Police“.

Maryland State Police
Licensing Division
1111 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
ATTN: Handgun Permit Unit

You will be notified by mail within 90 days whether your application has been approved or denied.

To qualify for a handgun permit, applicants must successfully complete, prior to application and each renewal, a firearms training course approved by the Secretary of State Police that includes:

• For an initial application, a minimum of 16 hours of instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; or
• For a renewal application, 8 hours of instruction by a qualified handgun instructor.

The training includes classroom instruction on state firearms law, home firearms safety and handgun mechanisms and operation. A firearms qualification component is also required that demonstrates the applicant’s proficiency and use of the firearm with a minimum score of 70% accuracy. There are training exemptions for law enforcement officers, members of the military and qualified handgun instructors.

• Carry in restaurants that serve alcohol? Yes.
• Carry in my vehicle without a permit/license? No.
• Carry in roadside rest areas? No.
• Carry in WMAs? Yes

Places off-limits even with a permit/license

• Public schools;
• Child-care centers, except for small centers located in residences;
• State parks;
• State and national forests and Chesapeake Forest Lands;
• State Highway rest areas;
• Commercial aircraft;
• Lodging establishments where the innkeeper reasonably believes individuals possess property that may be dangerous to other individuals, such as firearms or explosives;
• Dredge boats;
• Community Adult Rehabilitation Centers;
• In or around State-owned public buildings and grounds;
• Any building where the Senate or the House has a chamber;
• Any Joint Hearing Room;
• Any building or grounds where a member, officer or employee of the General Assembly has an official office; 
• Any building where a committee of the General Assembly, the Senate or the House has an office;
• Demonstration at a public place or in a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a demonstration;
• If prohibited by a local municipality, within 100 yards of or in a park, church, school, public building, and other place of public assembly;
• Any place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and
• Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law or state law or regulation.
   

Yes, for handguns.

Yes, for handguns.

Yes. All private transfers of handguns and assault weapons must be processed through a licensed dealer or designated law enforcement agency, which must conduct a background check on the buyer.

Yes. Seven days for handguns and assault weapons.

There are no limitations on the types of knives you can own in Maryland. You cannot conceal carry a throwing star, dirk, switchblade, gravity knife or bowie knife. You can not open carry a throwing star, dirk, switchblade, gravity knife or bowie knife with the intent to harm someone. All knives are banned from Maryland schools.

You must submit a notarized letter advising the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the permit. Submit a $10 check or money order and one passport-sized photograph taken within the last 30 days. If you are a security guard, private detective, armored car guard or special police officer, also provide a company letter from your current employer verifying your employment.​