Gun laws in Maryland


Gun laws in Maryland regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of Maryland.

Summary table


Subject/LawLong GunsHandgunsRelevant StatutesNotes
State permit required to purchase?NoYesMd Public Safety Article Section 5-117.1A Handgun Qualification License is required, unless exempted ; training is required, unless exempted; fingerprints are required; background checks are required; does not invalidate the requirement to perform a comprehensive background check for every handgun purchase transaction.
Firearm registration?NoYesThe state police maintain a permanent record of all handgun transfers. Automatic weapons must be registered with the state police.
Owner license required?NoNo
Permit required for concealed carry?N/AYesMaryland is a "may issue" state for concealed carry. Applicants must demonstrate a "good and substantial reason" to carry a handgun. Permits are normally very difficult for ordinary citizens to obtain. An applicant may be issued either an unrestricted permit or a permit with varying degrees of restrictions at the discretion of the issuing authority.
Permit required for open carry?NoYesOpen carry is permitted with a carry license, but is not generally practiced except by uniformed private security officers. Long guns and antique handguns may be carried openly without a license.
State preemption of local restrictions?YesYesMaryland has state preemption for most but not all firearm laws.
Assault weapon law?YesYesMd Criminal Law Article Section 4-303
Certain models of firearms are banned as assault pistols and assault long guns. It is illegal to possess an assault weapon or a copycat weapon with two or more specified features unless owned before 10/1/2013, or received through inheritance from a lawful possessor and not otherwise forbidden to possess.
Some local counties have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions in opposition to assault weapon laws.
Magazine capacity restriction?YesYesIllegal to purchase, sell or manufacture magazines with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds within Maryland. However, possession of magazines greater than 10 rounds is legal if purchased out of state. These may not, however, be transferred to a subsequent owner unless done so outside the state of Maryland.
NFA weapons restricted?NoNoAutomatic firearms, SBSs, and SBRs must be owned in compliance with federal law. Law is silent in regards to DDs, suppressors, and AOWs.
Background checks required for private sales?PartialYesAll private transfers of regulated firearms must be processed through a licensed dealer or designated law enforcement agency which must conduct a background check on the buyer.
Red flag law?YesYes

State constitution

The Constitution of Maryland contains no provision protecting the right for individuals to keep and bear arms. The state preempts some local firearm regulations, though local governments may regulate firearms with respect to minors and areas of public assembly. Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Gaithersburg, and Baltimore are known to have local firearm regulations.
The Constitution of Maryland, Declaration of Rights, Art. 2. The Constitution of the United States, and the Laws made, or which shall be made, in pursuance thereof, and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, are, and shall be the Supreme Law of the State; and the Judges of this State, and all the People of this State, are, and shall be bound thereby; anything in the Constitution or Law of this State to the contrary. Maryland state law currently blocks anyone who has been in a mental facility or has been reported or coded at mentally ill from buying a gun notwithstanding.

Regulated firearms

The Maryland State Police maintain a registry of "regulated firearms" that are allowed to be sold within the state.
Residents may only purchase handguns manufactured after January 1, 1985, that are on the approved handguns list from the .

Integrated Ballistics Identification System

Until 2016, dealers were required to forward the manufacturer-included shell casing in its sealed container to the Department of State Police Crime Laboratory upon sale, rental, or transfer of a "regulated firearm" for inclusion in their ballistics database, known as the Integrated Ballistics Identification System. The program was shut down in 2015 due to its ineffectiveness.

Laws prohibiting firearms

On April 4, 2013, the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation imposing significant new restrictions on gun ownership. The bills ban the sale of certain semi-automatic firearms that they define as assault weapons, limit magazine capacity to ten rounds, require that handgun purchasers be fingerprinted and pass a training class in order to obtain a handgun license, and bar persons who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health institution from possessing firearms. Martin O'Malley Governor at the time, signed the legislation into law on May 16, 2013. Regarding 10 round magazine limits for rifles purchased in Maryland, standard 30 round magazines may be purchased outside Maryland and brought into the state for personal use. Those standard magazines may not be transferred, given, sold or manufactured inside Maryland.
As of October 1, 2013, detachable magazines for semi-automatic handguns and semi-automatic centerfire rifles which are capable of holding more than 10 rounds may not be purchased, manufactured or sold, though they may be possessed by persons who already owned them prior to enactment of the 2013 changes. Magazines greater than ten rounds may be purchased or acquired outside the state and carried into Maryland and used within the state. Certain pistols are classified as "assault pistols", and banned from ownership if not registered prior to August 1, 1994. Only handguns on the official handgun roster may be sold in the state. Private sales of "regulated firearms," which includes handguns, are permissible, but must be done at a local Maryland State Police barracks. As of 1 Oct, a Handgun Qualification License is required for the sale, as well as a background check and a mandatory seven-day waiting period. A person must obtain a safety training certificate prior to purchasing "regulated firearms" and present that certificate prior to each purchase. With some limited exceptions for designated firearms collectors, only one "regulated firearm" may be purchased in any 30-day period. Handguns manufactured on or before December 31, 2002, must be sold or transferred with an external safety lock. Handguns manufactured after December 31, 2002 may only be sold or transferred if they have an internal mechanical safety device.
Firearms advocates challenged the 2013 law. The District Court ruled that the law was constitutional based on intermediate scrutiny. On February 1, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overruled the reasoning used to uphold the law in a 2-to-1 vote. The appellate court said that the ban on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines should be subject to strict scrutiny, not intermediate scrutiny, because they "are in common use by law-abiding citizens." The court acknowledged that the state has a right to limit the use of or ban citizen possession, sale, or transfer of "dangerous and unusual" weapons, but the weapons and ammunition barred by the 2013 law did not fall under that provision. The appellate court remanded the case to a federal district court, leaving the ban temporarily in place pending a review by the district court. The state said it would appeal the decision. On March 4, 2016, Fourth Circuit agreed to rehear the case en banc and oral arguments took place on May 11, 2016. The full court ruled that such assault weapons and magazines holding more than 10 bullets are not protected by the Second Amendment; the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
Firearms are prohibited from certain places, including schools and demonstrations.

Open and Concealed Carry

Carrying a handgun, whether openly or concealed, is prohibited except in limited events such as hunting or, unless one has a permit to carry a handgun or is on their own property or their own place of business. The Maryland State Police may issue a permit to carry a handgun at their discretion and based on an investigation. In practice, very few applicants are granted carry permits, and approval typically requires the applicant to provide proof of a clear and imminent threat on his or her life. For example, police reports submitted by an applicant documenting a recent assault, attempted kidnapping, carjacking, or home invasion, particularly when the assailant remains at-large, have generally been accepted as sufficient "good reason" for issuance of a carry permit. The State Police may issue a Handgun Carry Permit that is either unrestricted or has varying degrees of restrictions, depending on the circumstances specified in the permit application. Permits are not automatically renewed, and the permit-holder must justify the continued need for the permit when applying for renewal. Out of a total population of 6 million, there were 14,298 active carry permits as of April 2014. No permit is required to openly carry a rifle or shotgun in Maryland.
On August 5, 2019, Maryland State Police issued a new S.O.P. SOP 29-19-004 which rescinded the previous SOP 29-15-007. The new S.O.P. removes all restrictions on business owner's permits only. Any business owner who held a permit prior to the new S.O.P. must submit a request for a modification of their permit to have the restrictions removed. Until their new permit is received, their current restrictions are still in force.
On March 5, 2012, a federal judge ruled in Woollard v Sheridan that Maryland's "may issue" concealed carry law is unconstitutional, writing, "A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and substantial reason' why he should be permitted to exercise his rights." The Maryland Attorney General's office appealed the ruling. On March 21, 2013, a three judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the District Court ruling, holding that the "good & substantial cause" requirements imposed by Maryland law are permissible without violating the 2nd Amendment.
Maryland police have been accused of targeting drivers from other states including Florida because they hold concealed-carry permits.