Maryland Weapon Restrictions for Concealed Carry Permit Holders

Assault Weapons Ban (Firearms Safety Act of 2013 - SB 281)

Maryland prohibits the possession, sale, and transfer of certain assault weapons as defined under the Criminal Law Article, Title 4, Subtitle 3, and Public Safety Article, Title 5.

Banned Assault Long Guns

• Specific firearms are enumerated as banned assault weapons under Public Safety Article § 5-101(r)(2)
• A "copycat weapon" as defined under Criminal Law § 4-301(e) is also prohibited — this includes semi-automatic rifles with certain features or configurations that meet the statutory definition
• Firearms lawfully owned prior to October 1, 2013 are grandfathered and not required to be registered

Copycat Weapons

• A weapon with an overall length of less than 29 inches that is "designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder" may qualify as a "copycat weapon" subject to assault weapon prohibitions under CR Title 4, Subtitle 3
• Example: A pistol placed within a Micro RONI device frame becomes a rifle; if the overall length is less than 29 inches, it becomes a prohibited "copycat weapon"

Lower Receivers

• A lower receiver of a banned assault long gun purchased after October 1, 2013 may only be built into:
  • A handgun
  • A short-barreled rifle with an overall length of 29 inches or greater
  • If an AR-15 platform, a heavy barrel model
• A lower receiver purchased at any time may be manufactured into a handgun (with compliance with federal and state laws)

Magazine Restrictions

• Magazines are not required to be registered

Handgun Restrictions

Handgun Roster

• Handguns may not be sold in Maryland or manufactured for distribution in Maryland unless they are included on the Handgun Roster maintained by the Maryland State Police (Public Safety Article, Title 5)

Regulated Firearms Purchase Restrictions

• A person may not purchase more than one regulated firearm in a 30-day period (exceptions exist for designated firearms collectors)
• A Handgun Qualification License (HQL) is required to purchase a handgun that is not classified as a curio and relic
• A background check is required for each regulated firearm purchase, even if a recent purchase was approved

Carrying and Transporting Restrictions

Wear and Carry Permit

• Maryland requires a Wear and Carry Handgun Permit to carry a handgun, issued by the Maryland State Police
• Maryland does not recognize concealed carry permits or CCWs from any other state
• The governing statute for wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun is Maryland Annotated Code, Criminal Law, Title 4, Section 203

Transporting Handguns (Without a Carry Permit)

Per Criminal Law § 4-203 and MSP guidance, handguns must be transported under the following conditions:

• The handgun must be unloaded
• The handgun must be in an enclosed case or enclosed holster
• Ammunition must be separate from the handgun
• It is recommended to keep the unloaded handgun in the trunk where it is not accessible
• Transport is limited to specific purposes: between residences, to/from a repair shop, to/from a shooting sporting event, or between a residence and a place of business substantially owned and operated by the person

Interstate Transport

Per 18 U.S.C. § 926A, a person not prohibited from possessing firearms may transport a firearm interstate provided:

• The firearm is unloaded
• Neither the firearm nor ammunition is readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment
• If the vehicle has no separate compartment from the driver's compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked compartment other than the glove compartment or console

Assault Weapons Transport

• A Maryland resident who lawfully owned a banned firearm prior to October 1, 2013 may travel with it to other states and return, provided it is not a violation in the destination state and is transported in accordance with the law
• A person may not transport an assault weapon into Maryland for target competition unless the person lawfully possessed, had a purchase order for, or applied to purchase the weapon before October 1, 2013
• Federal law allows transport through Maryland but not to Maryland if the firearm does not comply with state law

Firearm Storage Restrictions

Under Maryland Annotated Code, Criminal Law, Article 4, Section 104:

• It is unlawful to store or leave a loaded firearm in a location where the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised minor has access to the firearm
• For safety purposes, stored firearms should be unloaded and the use of an appropriate lock or locked container is recommended

Cannabis and Firearms

• Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3)) prohibits any person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance from possessing firearms or ammunition
• Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law; there are no federal exceptions for state-sanctioned medical or personal use
• Maryland State Police query individuals seeking to purchase a firearm about their status as a medical cannabis patient or personal cannabis user and bar those who disclose such status from completing the transaction
• Providing false information by failing to disclose cannabis patient/user status when purchasing a firearm is a federal violation punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000

Prohibited Persons

The following categories of persons are prohibited from purchasing or possessing regulated firearms (per State and Federal prohibitors referenced by MSP):

• Habitual user: A person found guilty of two controlled dangerous substance crimes, one of which occurred in the past 5 years
• Habitual drunkard: A person found guilty of any three crimes under § 21-902(a), (b), or (c) of the Transportation Article, one of which occurred in the past year
• Persons subject to a protective order
• Persons arrested or convicted of a disqualifying crime
• Persons placed on supervised probation
• Other state and federal prohibitors as defined by law

Permit Expiration and Renewal

• If a renewal application is submitted in the Licensing Portal at least two (2) weeks prior to the expiration date, the permit holder may continue to carry on the expired permit until the renewed permit is received
• If the application is returned for incompleteness and resubmitted after the two-week window, the holder may not carry the handgun
• Replacement of a lost or stolen permit requires a notarized letter explaining the circumstances and a $10 fee

Training Requirements for Carry Permit

• Initial permit: 16 hours of training required
• Renewal: 8 hours of training required
• Training must be conducted by an instructor registered with the Maryland State Police

---

Sources: Maryland State Police Licensing Division FAQs (mdsp.maryland.gov); Maryland Annotated Code, Criminal Law, Title 4; Maryland Public Safety Article, Title 5; 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3); 18 U.S.C. § 926A