# Public Safety (GPS)

## Title 5. Firearms

### Subtitle 3. Handgun Permits

#### Section 5-306

(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. Sec. 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 Sec. 21-902(b) or (c) of the Transportation Article; or

    (iii) violating a protective order under Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 4-506 of the Family Law Article;

    (ii) a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under Sec. 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 Sec. 4-506 of the Family Law Article;

      (B) an order for protection, as defined in Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 4-104 of the Criminal Law Article; or

    (ii) has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a violation of Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 5-117.1 of this title.

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