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: is at least 21 years old; or is a person who is a member of the uniformed services or the National Guard; 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 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); has not been convicted of a crime involving the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance; is not on supervised probation for: conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for 1 year or more; a violation of § 21–902(b) or (c) of the Transportation Article; or violating a protective order under § 4–509 of the Family Law Article; 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; 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; has not been involuntarily admitted for more than 30 consecutive days to a facility as defined in § 10–101 of the Health – General Article; is not a respondent against whom: a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article; a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under § 5–601 of this title; or any other type of current court order has been entered prohibiting the person from purchasing or possessing firearms; 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 based on an investigation: 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 is not otherwise prohibited by State or federal law from purchasing or possessing a handgun. The firearms training course required under subsection (a) of this section shall include: for an initial application, a minimum of 16 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; or for a renewal application, 8 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; classroom instruction on: State and federal firearm laws, including laws relating to: self–defense; defense of others; defense of property; the safe storage of firearms; the circumstances under which an individual becomes prohibited from possessing a firearm under State and federal law, including becoming a respondent against whom: a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article; 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 a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under Subtitle 6 of this title; 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; the requirements for reporting a loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement agency as required by § 5–146 of this title; the firearms and firearm accessories which are banned under State and federal law; the types of firearms that require a special permit or registration to acquire or possess under State or federal law; the law prohibiting straw purchases; the law concerning armed trespass under § 6–411 of the Criminal Law Article; and the locations where a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm regardless of whether the person possesses a permit issued under this subtitle; home firearm safety; handgun mechanisms and operations; conflict de–escalation and resolution; anger management; and suicide prevention; and a firearm qualification component that includes live–fire shooting exercise on a firing range and requires the applicant to demonstrate: safe handling of a handgun; and shooting proficiency with a handgun. 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. An applicant for a permit is not required to complete a certified firearms training course under subsection (a) of this section if the applicant: 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; is a member, retired member, or honorably discharged member of the armed forces or the National Guard; is a qualified handgun instructor; or has completed a firearms training course approved by the Secretary. An applicant under the age of 30 years is qualified only if the Secretary finds that the applicant has not been: 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 adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court for: an act that would be a crime of violence if committed by an adult; an act that would be a felony in this State if committed by an adult; or 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. The Secretary may not issue a permit to a person if the person: has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a second or subsequent violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article; or 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. 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. The Secretary may issue a handgun qualification license, without an additional application or fee, to a person who: meets the requirements for issuance of a permit under this section; and does not have a handgun qualification license issued under § 5–117.1 of this title.