§ 5–306
Statutes in effect as of October 1, 2026.
Md. Code Ann., Pub. Safety § 5-306 (2026)
Title 5. Firearms
Subtitle 3. Handgun Permits
§ 5–306LinkCopy Citation
(a)
Subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the Secretary shall issue a permit within a reasonable time to a person who the Secretary finds:
(1)
(i)
is at least 21 years old; or
(ii)
is a person who is a member of the uniformed services or the National Guard;
(2)
(i)
has not been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor for which a sentence of imprisonment for more than 1 year has been imposed; or
(ii)
if convicted of a crime described in item (i) of this item, has been pardoned or has been granted relief under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c);
(3)
has not been convicted of a crime involving the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance;
(4)
is not on supervised probation for:
(i)
conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for 1 year or more;
(ii)
a violation of § 21–902(b) or (c) of the Transportation Article; or
(iii)
violating a protective order under § 4–509 of the Family Law Article;
(5)
is not presently an alcoholic, addict, or habitual user of a controlled dangerous substance unless the habitual use of the controlled dangerous substance is under legitimate medical direction;
(6)
does not suffer from a mental disorder as defined in § 10–101(i)(2) of the Health – General Article and have a history of violent behavior against the person or another;
(7)
has not been involuntarily admitted for more than 30 consecutive days to a facility as defined in § 10–101 of the Health – General Article;
(8)
is not a respondent against whom:
(i)
a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article;
(ii)
a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under § 5–601 of this title; or
(iii)
any other type of current court order has been entered prohibiting the person from purchasing or possessing firearms;
(9)
except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, has successfully completed prior to application and each renewal, a firearms training course approved by the Secretary that meets the minimum criteria specified in subsection (a–1) of this section; and
(10)
based on an investigation:
(i)
has not exhibited a propensity for violence or instability that may reasonably render the person’s possession of a handgun a danger to the person or to another; and
(ii)
is not otherwise prohibited by State or federal law from purchasing or possessing a handgun.
(a–1)
The firearms training course required under subsection (a) of this section shall include:
(1)
(i)
for an initial application, a minimum of 16 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; or
(ii)
for a renewal application, 8 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor;
(2)
classroom instruction on:
(i)
State and federal firearm laws, including laws relating to:
(1)
self–defense;
(2)
defense of others;
(3)
defense of property;
(4)
the safe storage of firearms;
(5)
the circumstances under which an individual becomes prohibited from possessing a firearm under State and federal law, including becoming a respondent against whom:
(A)
a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article;
(B)
an order for protection, as defined in § 4–508.1 of the Family Law Article, has been issued by a court of another state or a Native American tribe and is in effect; or
(C)
a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under Subtitle 6 of this title;
(6)
the requirements and options for surrendering, transferring, or otherwise disposing of a firearm after becoming prohibited from possessing a firearm under State or federal law;
(7)
the requirements for reporting a loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement agency as required by § 5–146 of this title;
(8)
the firearms and firearm accessories which are banned under State and federal law;
(9)
the types of firearms that require a special permit or registration to acquire or possess under State or federal law;
(10)
the law prohibiting straw purchases;
(11)
the law concerning armed trespass under § 6–411 of the Criminal Law Article; and
(12)
the locations where a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm regardless of whether the person possesses a permit issued under this subtitle;
(ii)
home firearm safety;
(iii)
handgun mechanisms and operations;
(iv)
conflict de–escalation and resolution;
(v)
anger management; and
(vi)
suicide prevention; and
(3)
a firearm qualification component that includes live–fire shooting exercise on a firing range and requires the applicant to demonstrate:
(i)
safe handling of a handgun; and
(ii)
shooting proficiency with a handgun.
(a–2)
The Secretary, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health, shall develop, publish, update, and distribute to all State–certified firearms instructors a curriculum of instruction for the topics required for classroom instruction in subsection (a–1) of this section.
(b)
An applicant for a permit is not required to complete a certified firearms training course under subsection (a) of this section if the applicant:
(1)
is a law enforcement officer or a person who is retired in good standing from service with a law enforcement agency of the United States, the State, or any local law enforcement agency in the State;
(2)
is a member, retired member, or honorably discharged member of the armed forces or the National Guard;
(3)
is a qualified handgun instructor; or
(4)
has completed a firearms training course approved by the Secretary.
(c)
An applicant under the age of 30 years is qualified only if the Secretary finds that the applicant has not been:
(1)
committed to a detention, training, or correctional institution for juveniles for longer than 1 year after an adjudication of delinquency by a juvenile court; or
(2)
adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court for:
(i)
an act that would be a crime of violence if committed by an adult;
(ii)
an act that would be a felony in this State if committed by an adult; or
(iii)
an act that would be a misdemeanor in this State that carries a statutory penalty of more than 2 years if committed by an adult.
(d)
(1)
The Secretary may not issue a permit to a person if the person:
(i)
has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a second or subsequent violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article; or
(ii)
has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article if the violation resulted in the use of a loaded firearm by a minor causing death or serious bodily injury to the minor or another person.
(2)
Subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Secretary may not issue a permit to a person who has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article for 5 years following the date of the conviction.
(e)
The Secretary may issue a handgun qualification license, without an additional application or fee, to a person who:
(1)
meets the requirements for issuance of a permit under this section; and
(2)
does not have a handgun qualification license issued under § 5–117.1 of this title.