Maryland Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Maryland is not a permitless carry state. You need a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit to carry a handgun in public, and you must generally be 21 or older. The permit only allows concealed carry, and getting one takes 16 hours of in-person training with live fire.

Maryland used to be one of the hardest states in the country to get a carry permit. That changed in 2022, but the Gun Safety Act of 2023 added a long list of places where you can’t carry. This guide covers the permit process, the training rule, reciprocity, vehicles, those off-limits places and their court status, and Maryland’s self-defense law.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Maryland?

Yes. Criminal Law § 4-203 bars wearing, carrying or transporting a handgun, open or concealed, without a permit. That includes a handgun in a vehicle on a public road or parking lot.

The main exceptions let you have a handgun without a permit:

• On land you own, lease or live on, or inside a business you own or lease
• While going to or from a place of purchase or repair, between your homes, or between home and a business you own, if the gun is unloaded and in an enclosed case or holster
• While going to or from target shooting, hunting and similar activities, under the same unloaded and enclosed rule

Who can get a permit. Under Public Safety § 5-306, you must be 21, or a member of the uniformed services or National Guard. You are disqualified by:

• A felony, or a misdemeanor punishable by more than a year
• Any conviction involving a controlled dangerous substance
• Current alcohol or drug addiction or habitual drug use
• A current non-ex parte protective order, extreme risk order or other order barring guns
• An involuntary commitment of more than 30 days in a row
• A finding that you show a propensity for violence or instability

How Maryland Went From May-Issue To Shall-Issue

Until 2022, Maryland was a may-issue state. Applicants had to show a “good and substantial reason” to carry, and most ordinary applicants were turned down.

After the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision struck down New York’s similar rule, Governor Larry Hogan told the State Police on July 5, 2022 to stop applying that standard. The legislature then passed Senate Bill 1, the Gun Safety Act of 2023. It was signed May 16, 2023 and took effect October 1, 2023.

The current statute no longer contains the old standard. SB 1 also made many places off-limits to permit holders. The courts have upheld most of those bans and blocked a few, as explained below.

How To Get A Maryland Wear And Carry Permit

The Maryland State Police Licensing Division handles every permit. You apply online through the MSP Licensing Portal.

1. Take the 16-hour course. It must be finished within 2 years before you apply. Your instructor signs the MSP 29-14 Qualification Score Sheet.
2. Get LiveScan fingerprints. Use a Maryland-approved vendor. Out-of-state providers are not approved.
3. Apply online. Upload your LiveScan receipt, signed score sheet and a passport-style photo, then answer the application questions.
4. Pay the fee. The fee is $125 for a new permit. Visa or MasterCard only, and fingerprint fees are extra.
5. Wait for a decision. The State Police say a decision comes within 90 days. Your permit card arrives by mail.

Submitting an application does not let you carry. You must have your approval and permit card first. A denial can be appealed within 10 days.

Do You Need A Class For A Maryland Carry Permit?

Yes, and it must be in person. Public Safety § 5-306(a-1) requires at least 16 hours of in-person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor for a first permit. Renewals need 8 hours of in-person instruction.

The course must cover:

• State and federal gun laws, including self-defense, safe storage and places you can’t carry
• Home firearm safety and handgun mechanics
• Conflict de-escalation, anger management and suicide prevention
• A live-fire range qualification where you show safe handling and shooting skill

An online-only course does not meet this rule. Look up approved courses on the State Police firearms safety training page. You can confirm your instructor through the instructor verification tool.

The statute exempts current and retired law enforcement, current, retired and honorably discharged military and National Guard members, and qualified handgun instructors.

Sixteen hours is a long class. A short online safety course is a useful primer on safe handling and carry basics before you sit for it. It is not a substitute for Maryland’s required in-person course and does not count toward the 16 hours.

Can Non-Residents Get A Maryland Carry Permit?

Yes. Section 5-306 has no residency requirement, and non-residents apply through the same State Police portal. You must complete the same 16-hour course or qualify for an exemption.

The catch is fingerprints. LiveScan must be done by a Maryland-approved provider, so plan a trip to Maryland. A Maryland non-resident permit is the only way an out-of-state visitor can legally carry in Maryland.

Which States Honor The Maryland Wear And Carry Permit?

About 32 states let Maryland permit holders carry, according to the USCCA reciprocity page. Many of these are permitless carry states that let any eligible adult visitor carry. Others honor all valid permits.

Notable states on that list include Florida, Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. Michigan honors resident permits only.

Minnesota’s official list also includes Maryland. Pennsylvania and Delaware are not on the USCCA list.

Maryland honors no other state’s permit. Visitors must have a Maryland permit to carry. Reciprocity changes often, so check before every trip.

Going next door? See our Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia guides, or the full concealed carry laws by state list.

Can You Open Carry In Maryland?

No. Public Safety § 5-307 says a permit must restrict carry to a handgun concealed under clothing or in an enclosed case. Brief, accidental exposure of the gun or its outline is not a violation.

Without a permit, you can’t carry a handgun in public at all, open or concealed.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Maryland?

With a permit, yes, carried within the permit’s limits. Without a permit, only during the trips Criminal Law § 4-203 allows. The gun must be unloaded and in an enclosed case or holster.

• Off-limits places: The sensitive-places law has a vehicle exception. A gun locked in a container, or a handgun carried by a permit holder within the permit’s limits, is allowed in a vehicle (Criminal Law § 4-111(b)(11)).
• Work parking lots: We found no Maryland law that stops employers from banning guns in employee vehicles. Check your employer’s policy.
• School parking lots: Criminal Law § 4-102 bans firearms on public school property. It has no exception for permit holders or for guns left in a vehicle.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Maryland

A permit doesn’t change these. The State Police list is here, and it notes the list is not complete.

• Public school property (Criminal Law § 4-102)
• Preschools and private K-12 schools, including grounds, and health care facilities (Criminal Law § 4-111(c))
• State and local government buildings, college and university buildings, polling places, and power plants (§ 4-111(d))
• Stadiums, museums, amusement parks, racetracks and casinos (§ 4-111(e))
• State parks, state forests and Chesapeake Forest Lands, except permitted hunting and target shooting (COMAR 08.07.06.04, 08.07.01.04 and 08.01.07.14)
• Legislative buildings (State Government § 2-1702)
• Licensed child care centers, except small centers in homes (COMAR 13A.16.10.04)
• Someone else’s home without the owner’s express permission (Criminal Law § 6-411(c))

Court status. On January 20, 2026, the Fourth Circuit upheld most of these bans in Kipke v. Moore. It also kept in place an order blocking SB 1’s default ban on carrying into private buildings without the owner’s consent. As of the State Police page update on July 10, 2026, three rules are not being enforced while Supreme Court review is sought:

• Places that sell alcohol for on-site drinking (§ 4-111(e))
• Private buildings without the owner’s consent (§ 6-411(d))
• Within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration (Criminal Law § 4-208)

Maryland’s own Supreme Court petition in the case was dismissed at the parties’ request in August 2026. Gun-owner challengers have asked the Court to strike the bans that were upheld, and the Novotny v. Moore petition (No. 25-1324) was still pending in October 2026. Check the State Police page before relying on any of this.

Duty to inform: Maryland has no duty-to-inform law, according to USCCA. You must have your permit with you whenever you carry, wear or transport a handgun (Public Safety § 5-308). Be ready to show it if asked.

Renewing A Maryland Wear And Carry Permit

Your first permit runs to the last day of your birth month, 2 years after it is issued. Renewals last 3 years and cost $75.

Renewal needs an 8-hour in-person course with a new score sheet, but no new fingerprints. Start up to 90 days before expiration. If you renew at least 14 days before it expires, you may keep carrying until the State Police decide.

If your permit expires, you must start over with the 16-hour course and new fingerprints. Allow 90 days for renewal processing.

Maryland Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Maryland is not a stand-your-ground state. Its self-defense law comes mostly from court decisions, not a statute.

• Self-defense: According to a 2026 legislative fiscal note, you must not have been the aggressor and must have reasonably believed you were in imminent danger. You also can’t use more force than the situation demanded.
• Duty to retreat: Outside your home, you must retreat if you can do so safely before using deadly force.
• Castle doctrine: You don’t have to retreat from your own home when it is attacked. Maryland courts recognized this in Crawford v. State (1963) and Burch v. State (1997).
• Civil immunity: Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-808 shields you from civil damages for force used against someone who enters your home or business. You must reasonably believe force is needed to repel an attack, and the force must be reasonable.
• Limits: That immunity is lost if you are convicted of a crime of violence, second-degree assault or reckless endangerment over the same events.

The law doesn’t prevent an arrest, charges or a lawsuit. Self-defense must be proven, and a defense can be expensive.

Maryland Gun Laws FAQ

Is Maryland A Shall-Issue State Now?

In practice, yes. The “good and substantial reason” test was dropped in 2022 and repealed by SB 1. The State Police must issue a permit to an applicant who meets the requirements in § 5-306, including training and a background investigation.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Maryland?

Maryland has no statute that bans guns in places of worship by name. SB 1’s default no-carry rule for private buildings would reach church buildings, but the courts have blocked it. A church can still refuse permission and ask you to leave.

A church preschool or K-12 school is off-limits under § 4-111(c), including its grounds. Churches that want armed volunteers should look at legal protection for church security teams.

Can I Carry In Maryland With A Virginia Or Pennsylvania Permit?

No. Maryland does not honor any other state’s permit. You need a Maryland non-resident Wear and Carry Permit. Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 926A) lets you pass through with an unloaded gun out of reach, if you can legally have it at both ends of the trip.

How Much Does A Maryland Carry Permit Cost?

The State Police charge $125 for a first permit, $75 to renew and $20 to replace or modify. LiveScan fingerprints and the training course cost extra.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Maryland Carry Permit?

The State Police say to expect a decision within 90 days. The completeness check usually takes 1 to 5 business days.

Did Maryland Gun Laws Change In 2026?

Yes, but not for carry permits. Starting January 1, 2027, Maryland bans the sale and transfer of “machine gun convertible pistols,” which are certain pistols with a cruciform trigger bar that a small converter device can turn into a machine gun. The State Police will publish a list of covered models.

Other 2026 laws cover dealer theft reporting, buyback programs and retired officers’ permits.

Sources

• Maryland State Police, Wear and Carry Permit
• Maryland State Police, Prohibited Places to Carry a Firearm
• Maryland State Police, 2026 Firearm Legislation Notification
• Maryland General Assembly, Public Safety § 5-306, § 5-307 and § 5-308
• Maryland General Assembly, Criminal Law § 4-203, § 4-102, § 4-111 and § 6-411
• Maryland General Assembly, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-808
• Maryland General Assembly, SB 1 (2023), Gun Safety Act of 2023
• Maryland Department of Legislative Services, Fiscal and Policy Note, HB 1406 (2026)
• U.S. Supreme Court, Moore v. Kipke docket, No. 25-1206 and Novotny v. Moore docket, No. 25-1324
• Cornell Legal Information Institute, 18 U.S.C. § 926A
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Permit to Carry Reciprocity
• Maryland Association of Counties (backup), Maryland Revises Concealed Carry Permitting Process
• USCCA (backup), Maryland Gun Laws and Reciprocity
• Handgunlaw.us (backup), Maryland