# Public Safety (GPS)

## Title 5. Firearms

### Subtitle 1. Regulated Firearms

#### Section 5-101

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) "Antique firearm" has the meaning stated in Sec. 4-201 of the Criminal Law Article.

(b-1)

  (1) "Convicted of a disqualifying crime" includes:

    (i) a case in which a person received probation before judgment for a crime of violence; and

    (ii) a case in which a person received probation before judgment in a domestically related crime as defined in Sec. 6-233 of the Criminal Procedure Article.

  (2) "Convicted of a disqualifying crime" does not include a case in which a person received a probation before judgment:

    (i) for assault in the second degree, unless the crime was a domestically related crime as defined in Sec. 6-233 of the Criminal Procedure Article; or

    (ii) that was expunged under Title 10, Subtitle 1 of the Criminal Procedure Article.

(c) "Crime of violence" means:

  (1) abduction;

  (2) arson in the first degree;

  (3) assault in the first or second degree;

  (4) burglary in the first, second, or third degree;

  (5) carjacking and armed carjacking;

  (6) escape in the first degree;

  (7) kidnapping;

  (8) voluntary manslaughter;

  (9) maiming as previously proscribed under former Article 27, Sec. 386 of the Code;

  (10) mayhem as previously proscribed under former Article 27, Sec. 384 of the Code;

  (11) murder in the first or second degree;

  (12) rape in the first or second degree;

  (13) robbery;

  (14) robbery with a dangerous weapon;

  (15) sexual offense in the first, second, or third degree;

  (16) home invasion under Sec. 6-202(b) of the Criminal Law Article;

  (17) a felony offense under Title 3, Subtitle 11 of the Criminal Law Article;

  (18) an attempt to commit any of the crimes listed in items (1) through (17) of this subsection; or

  (19) assault with intent to commit any of the crimes listed in items (1) through (17) of this subsection or a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.

(d) "Dealer" means a person who is engaged in the business of:

  (1) selling, renting, or transferring firearms at wholesale or retail; or

  (2) repairing firearms.

(e) "Dealer's license" means a State regulated firearms dealer's license.

(f) "Designated law enforcement agency" means a law enforcement agency that the Secretary designates to process applications to purchase regulated firearms for secondary sales.

(g) "Disqualifying crime" means:

  (1) a crime of violence;

  (2) a violation classified as a felony in the State; or

  (3) a violation classified as a misdemeanor in the State that carries a statutory penalty of more than 2 years.

(h)

  (1) "Firearm" means:

    (i) a weapon that expels, is designed to expel, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive;

    (ii) the frame or receiver of such a weapon; or

    (iii) an unfinished frame or receiver, as defined in Sec. 5-701 of this title.

  (2) "Firearm" includes a starter gun.

(i) "Firearm applicant" means a person who makes a firearm application.

(j) "Firearm application" means an application to purchase, rent, or transfer a regulated firearm.

(k) "Fugitive from justice" means a person who has fled to avoid prosecution or giving testimony in a criminal proceeding.

(l) "Habitual drunkard" means a person who has been found guilty of any three crimes under Sec. 21-902(a), (b), or (c) of the Transportation Article, one of which occurred in the past year.

(m) "Habitual user" means a person who has been found guilty of two controlled dangerous substance crimes, one of which occurred in the past 5 years.

(n)

  (1) "Handgun" means a firearm with a barrel less than 16 inches in length.

  (2) "Handgun" includes signal, starter, and blank pistols.

(o) "Handgun qualification license" means a license issued by the Secretary that authorizes a person to purchase, rent, or receive a handgun.

(p) "Licensee" means a person who holds a dealer's license.

(q) "Qualified handgun instructor" means a certified firearms instructor who:

  (1) is recognized by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training commissions;

  (2) has a qualified handgun instructor license issued by the Secretary; or

  (3) has a certification issued by a nationally recognized firearms organization.

(r) "Regulated firearm" means:

  (1) a handgun; or

  (2) a firearm that is any of the following specific assault weapons or their copies, regardless of which company produced and manufactured that assault weapon:

    (i) American Arms Spectre da Semiautomatic carbine;

    (ii) AK-47 in all forms;

    (iii) Algimec AGM-1 type semi-auto;

    (iv) AR 100 type semi-auto;

    (v) AR 180 type semi-auto;

    (vi) Argentine L.S.R. semi-auto;

    (vii) Australian Automatic Arms SAR type semi-auto;

    (viii) Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1 and 1927 semi-automatics;

    (ix) Barrett light .50 cal. semi-auto;

    (x) Beretta AR70 type semi-auto;

    (xi) Bushmaster semi-auto rifle;

    (xii) Calico models M-100 and M-900;

    (xiii) CIS SR 88 type semi-auto;

    (xiv) Claridge HI TEC C-9 carbines;

    (xv) Colt AR-15, CAR-15, and all imitations except Colt AR-15 Sporter H-BAR rifle;

    (xvi) Daewoo MAX 1 and MAX 2, aka AR 100, 110C, K-1, and K-2;

    (xvii) Dragunov Chinese made semi-auto;

    (xviii) Famas semi-auto (.223 caliber);

    (xix) Feather AT-9 semi-auto;

    (xx) FN LAR and FN FAL assault rifle;

    (xxi) FNC semi-auto type carbine;

    (xxii)

      (F)

        (I)

          (E) /Franchi LAW 12 and SPAS 12 assault shotgun;

    (xxiii) Steyr-AUG-SA semi-auto;

    (xxiv) Galil models AR and ARM semi-auto;

    (xxv) Heckler and Koch HK-91 A3, HK-93 A2, HK-94 A2 and A3;

    (xxvi) Holmes model 88 shotgun;

    (xxvii) Avtomat Kalashnikov semiautomatic rifle in any format;

    (xxviii) Manchester Arms "Commando" MK-45, MK-9;

    (xxix) Mandell TAC-1 semi-auto carbine;

    (xxx) Mossberg model 500 Bullpup assault shotgun;

    (xxxi) Sterling Mark 6;

    (xxxii)

      (P)

        (A)

          (W)

            (S) carbine;

    (xxxiii) Ruger mini-14 folding stock model (.223 caliber);

    (xxxiv) SIG 550/551 assault rifle (.223 caliber);

    (xxxv) SKS with detachable magazine;

    (xxxvi) AP-74 Commando type semi-auto;

    (xxxvii) Springfield Armory BM-59, SAR-48, G3, SAR-3, M-21 sniper rifle, M1A, excluding the M1 Garand;

    (xxxviii) Street sweeper assault type shotgun;

    (xxxix) Striker 12 assault shotgun in all formats;

    (xl) Unique F11 semi-auto type;

    (xli) Daewoo USAS 12 semi-auto shotgun;

    (xlii) UZI 9mm carbine or rifle;

    (xliii) Valmet M-76 and M-78 semi-auto;

    (xliv) Weaver Arms "Nighthawk" semi-auto carbine; or

    (xlv) Wilkinson Arms 9mm semi-auto "Terry".

(s) "Rent" means the temporary transfer for consideration of a regulated firearm that is taken from the property of the owner of the regulated firearm.

(t) "Secondary sale" means a sale of a regulated firearm in which neither party to the sale:

  (1) is a licensee;

  (2) is licensed by the federal government as a firearms dealer;

  (3) devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of earning a profit through the repeated purchase and resale of firearms; or

  (4) repairs firearms as a regular course of trade or business.

(u) "Secretary" means the Secretary of State Police or the Secretary's designee.

(v) "Straw purchase" means a sale of a regulated firearm in which a person uses another, known as the straw purchaser, to:

  (1) complete the application to purchase a regulated firearm;

  (2) take initial possession of the regulated firearm; and

  (3) subsequently transfer the regulated firearm to the person.

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Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)