Is firearms legal in Maryland?

Q: Is firearms legal in Maryland?

Firearms in Maryland is restricted. Maryland requires a Wear & Carry Permit to carry concealed, and it has been shall-issue since 2023. The minimum age is 21. Requirements include 16 hours of training, fingerprints, and a background check.

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MARYLAND · FIREARMS

Firearms

Restricted: Maryland requires a Wear & Carry Permit to carry concealed, and it has been shall-issue since 2023.

Restricted

Summary

Maryland requires a Wear & Carry Permit to carry concealed, and it has been shall-issue since 2023. The minimum age is 21. Requirements include 16 hours of training, fingerprints, and a background check.

Source: https://mdsp.maryland.gov/firearms-permits-professional-licenses/wear-carry-permit · Updated July 2, 2026

Maryland Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Maryland →Restricted
Maryland requires a Wear & Carry Permit to carry concealed, and it has been shall-issue since 2023.
Open Carry in Maryland →Restricted
Open carry of a handgun is generally prohibited in Maryland without a Maryland Wear & Carry Permit, which covers both open and concealed carry.
Magazine Capacity in Maryland →Restricted
In Maryland it is illegal to manufacture, sell, or transfer a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds in the state.
Gun Possession in Maryland →Restricted
Maryland has a red-flag law (Extreme Risk Protective Orders, or ERPOs), an assault-weapon ban based on a banned-firearms list, and registration for regulated firearms.
Transporting Firearms in Maryland →Restricted
In Maryland, without a permit a handgun must be unloaded, in an enclosed case or holster, with the ammunition kept separate, and may be transported only between specific lawful locations.
Duty to Inform Police in Maryland →Info
Maryland has no statutory duty to inform: its wear-and-carry statute (Pub. Safety § 5-308) only requires the permit holder to carry the permit whenever carrying, and the current text has no volunteer duty and no display-on-demand clause.
Suppressors & Silencers in Maryland →Conditional
Suppressors are legal in Maryland, which has no state ownership ban — they are lawful through the federal National Firearms Act (NFA) process on ATF Form 4.
Reciprocity — where is my Maryland permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Maryland concealed-carry permit.

Other Maryland laws

Firearms in nearby states

Browse all state laws →

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