◆ MARYLAND · CARRY LAW
Maryland.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
No
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- Magazine capacity is capped here.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Maryland requires
The state's permit is the Handgun Wear and Carry Permit, issued by the Secretary of State Police.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a permit. Maryland’s offense reaches a handgun “whether concealed or open”, so there is no version of carrying that escapes it.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
No
No. Same offense, same words. Open carry is not a route around the permit in Maryland.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
No, and Maryland says so expressly: wearing, carrying or knowingly transporting a handgun in a vehicle on a public road or parking lot is the same offense.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The Secretary of State Police SHALL issue to a qualified applicant. Maryland dropped its good-and-substantial-reason test after Bruen.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
Yes. Maryland issues to non-residents on the same terms as residents, which matters, because it recognizes no other state’s permit.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
21
21, or any age if you are a member of the uniformed services or the National Guard.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute requires you to announce it. Carry the permit and answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision in Md. Code, Pub. Safety tit. 5, subtit. 3Read at the Maryland General Assembly ↗Checked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 5-306 and Crim. Law § 4-203 on 2026-09-05. The issuance section and the carrying offense, which are where such a duty sits in the states that have one. Neither contains a notification requirement.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
Yes, for a handgun. You need a Handgun Qualification License from the State Police before a dealer may sell you one. Training, fingerprints and a background check first.
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
Only in some cases
10 rounds, but read the verbs. Maryland bans manufacturing, selling, buying, receiving and transferring a larger magazine. POSSESSION is not on the list.
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
Sometimes, check the city
Preempted in general, with real holes. A county or town MAY still regulate firearms as to minors, as to its own police, and within 100 yards of or inside a park, church, school or public building. Check the county.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2018 a court may issue an extreme risk protective order requiring firearms to be surrendered.
In force since October 1, 2018.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Maryland honors
If you are visiting Maryland, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Not honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Maryland permits are honored
If you live in Maryland, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored21
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Maryland has no suppressor ban of its own.
No suppressor prohibition in Md. Code, Crim. Law tit. 4Read at the Maryland General Assembly ↗Checked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read Crim. Law §§ 4-203, 4-209 and 4-305 on 2026-09-05. The carrying, preemption and magazine sections of the firearms subtitle. No silencer or suppressor prohibition appears among them.Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful if federally registered AND registered with the Maryland State Police. Maryland adds a state registration step that most permissive states do not.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Maryland has no AOW category, but one small enough to conceal counts as a HANDGUN here, so the wear-and-carry rules apply to it.
No any-other-weapon provision in Md. Code, Crim. Law tit. 4; see § 4-201(c)Read at the Maryland General Assembly ↗Checked 11 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 4-101, 4-201, 4-203, 4-301, 4-303, 4-305, 4-401, 4-402 and 4-405 at the Maryland General Assembly on 2026-09-07 and searched each for “any other weapon”, “cane gun”, “pen gun”, “wallet gun”, “disguised” and “smooth”. No hit in any of them. The earlier note here claimed mgaleg.maryland.gov serves a JavaScript shell. It does not: a plain request returns the section text, and that wrong note is why this row went unresearched.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Secretary of State Police ↗
- ATF’s index
- Maryland firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)