Maryland Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun

No. Maryland makes it a crime to wear, carry or transport a handgun, whether concealed or open, on or about the person, or in a vehicle on a public road or parking lot, unless the person holds a Maryland permit or fits a listed exception (for example on the person's own property or business, or transporting an unloaded handgun in an enclosed case or holster to or from a purchase, repair shop, residence, or target shooting or hunting). A first offense carries 30 days to 5 years or a $250-$2,500 fine.

Permit to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, issued by the Secretary of State Police. Shall-issue: the Secretary 'shall issue a permit within a reasonable time' to a person who meets the listed qualifications. Applicant must be at least 21 years old (or a member of the uniformed services or National Guard), not be disqualified, and complete a firearms training course approved by the Secretary: at least 16 hours of in-person instruction for an initial application and 8 hours for a renewal, including classroom instruction on state and federal firearm law, de-escalation, anger management and suicide prevention, plus a live-fire qualification. Application fees may not exceed $125 (initial), $75 (renewal) and $20 (duplicate or modified permit). A permit expires on the last day of the holder's birth month following 2 years after issue, and may be renewed for successive 3-year periods.

Not without a permit. The carry ban in Crim. Law §4-203 applies to a handgun 'whether concealed or open.' A person with a Maryland wear-and-carry permit may carry subject to any limitations on the permit and to the prohibited-place laws. Long guns are not covered by §4-203, but firearms of all kinds are barred in the sensitive places listed in Crim. Law §4-111 and on public school property.

Handguns and other 'regulated firearms' (handguns and listed assault weapons): a dealer or any other person may not sell, rent, loan or transfer one to a person under 21 (except a loan to a borrower allowed to possess it under §5-133(d)), and a person under 21 may not possess a regulated firearm, with exceptions such as supervised use with parental permission, marksmanship training, hunting and military duty. Rifles and shotguns: a person may not sell, rent or transfer a firearm other than a regulated firearm, or ammunition, to a minor (Maryland's general definition of minor is under 18); ammunition designed solely for a regulated firearm may not be sold to anyone under 21. These rules cover private sellers too.

Yes, for all sales. Handguns: a buyer must have a Handgun Qualification License (issued by the State Police to Maryland residents 21 or older after fingerprinting and a state/national records check, and a firearms safety course of at least 4 hours within the prior 3 years), with exceptions such as police, military and antique/curio buyers; a private seller of a handgun or other regulated firearm must complete the sale through a licensed dealer or a designated law enforcement agency with a firearm application to the State Police. Rifles and shotguns: a private (non-dealer) sale must be processed through a federally licensed dealer, who runs a NICS background check (exceptions include immediate family members and curio/relic transfers between licensed collectors).

7 days for handguns and other regulated firearms: a dealer may not sell, rent or transfer a regulated firearm until 7 days after the firearm application is executed and forwarded to the Secretary of State Police, and the same 7-day rule applies to private (secondary) sales. Maryland has no state law that sets a waiting period for rifles and shotguns that are not regulated firearms; private sales of those guns must go through a licensed dealer for a NICS background check.

Yes. A petition for an extreme risk protective order may be filed in District Court (or with a District Court commissioner when the clerk's office is closed) by a law enforcement officer; the respondent's spouse, cohabitant, a relative by blood, marriage or adoption, a person with a child in common, a current dating or intimate partner, or a current or former legal guardian; or a physician, psychologist or certain other clinicians or health officers who have examined the respondent. A temporary order lasts up to 7 days after service (extendable up to 6 months to effect service); a final order, entered on clear and convincing evidence, lasts up to 1 year and may be extended.

Yes. A person may not transport into the state, possess, sell, transfer, purchase or receive an assault weapon (listed assault long guns, listed assault pistols, and 'copycat' weapons defined by features, such as a semiautomatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine and two of a folding stock, grenade/flare launcher or flash suppressor). Weapons lawfully possessed before October 1, 2013 (assault pistols registered before August 1, 1994) may be kept. A person may not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, purchase, receive or transfer a detachable magazine holding more than 10 rounds (possession of existing magazines is not listed). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the assault weapons ban (en banc, August 6, 2024), and the U.S. Supreme Court denied review on June 2, 2025 (Snope v. Brown, No. 24-203).

Without a carry permit, a handgun may not be carried or knowingly transported in a vehicle on a public road or parking lot, except in listed situations where the handgun is unloaded and in an enclosed case or enclosed holster, such as traveling to or from a purchase or sale, a repair shop, between the person's residences or residence and business, or to or from target shooting, hunting or a firearms safety class. In sensitive places, a firearm in a motor vehicle is exempt from the place ban if it is locked in a container, or if it is a handgun carried by a permit holder.

None. Maryland State Police states that Maryland law does not recognize handgun carry permits issued by any other state and does not authorize the State to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states.

Firearms may not be worn, carried or transported in: preschools and pre-K facilities, private primary and secondary schools, and health care facilities; buildings owned or leased by state or local government (with posted signs), buildings of colleges and universities, polling places and ballot-canvassing sites, and electric, gas and nuclear power plants; locations licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption, stadiums, museums, amusement parks, racetracks and video lottery (casino) facilities (up to 1 year and $1,000). Firearms are also banned on public school property, and at or within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration after a police warning. A person may not enter another's dwelling with a firearm without express permission. Maryland's rule barring carry on other private property without a posted sign or the owner's express permission (Crim. Law §6-411(d)) was held unconstitutional and enjoined by the Fourth Circuit on January 20, 2026 (Kipke v. Moore, No. 24-1799); the court upheld the other challenged restrictions, including government buildings, mass transit, schools, state parks, museums, health care facilities, stadiums/racetracks/amusement parks/casinos, alcohol-serving locations, and the 1,000-foot demonstration rule.

Banned unless serialized. A person may not purchase, receive, sell, offer to sell or transfer an unfinished frame or receiver unless it has been imprinted with a serial number by a federally licensed manufacturer or importer, and may not sell or transfer a firearm without a serial number (felony, up to 5 years and/or $10,000). Since March 1, 2023, a person may not possess a firearm unless it has a federally required serial number or has been imprinted by a federal licensee with the owner's or maker's zip code, initials and a unique number and registered with the Secretary of State Police (misdemeanor, up to 2 years and/or $10,000). Firearms made before October 22, 1968 and antiques are exempt.