BB guns are not illegal in Maryland. Adults can buy, own, and use them without a license, and the state does not classify them as firearms. What Maryland does do is treat a BB gun as a dangerous weapon in many situations, which means the rules on carrying, transporting, and discharging one are stricter than most owners expect, and local ordinances in cities like Baltimore and Frederick add another layer on top.
Why a BB Gun Is Not a Firearm but Still Regulated
Maryland defines a firearm as a weapon that expels a projectile by the action of an explosive.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-204 BB guns use compressed air, a spring, or a CO2 cartridge, so they sit outside that definition. That exclusion is why BB guns escape Maryland’s handgun qualification licensing, dealer regulations, and the background check rules that apply to rifles and handguns.
The catch is Maryland’s separate dangerous weapons statute, which makes it a crime to carry any dangerous weapon concealed on or about your person.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-101 – Dangerous Weapons Courts decide what counts as a dangerous weapon based on the object’s design and how it was being used, and BB guns regularly qualify. The Maryland Department of Human Services lists BB guns, pellet guns, and paintball guns alongside other dangerous weapons in its policy guidance.3Maryland Department of Human Services. Weapon Policy
So the answer to whether BB guns are legal in Maryland has two parts. Owning one? Legal. Treating one casually because it isn’t a firearm? That’s where people get charged.
Who Can Buy and Own One
Dealers cannot sell, rent, or transfer an air gun to anyone they have reasonable cause to believe is under 18. That covers BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, and similar compressed-air or spring-powered devices. A minor can still use a BB gun, but only under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or another authorized adult. Unsupervised possession by someone under 18 is not lawful.
Adults face no special licensing or registration for BB guns. Because BB guns aren’t regulated firearms, the state ban on felons possessing handguns and assault weapons does not automatically extend to them. Anyone, regardless of criminal record, can still be charged under the general dangerous weapons law if they carry a concealed BB gun.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-101 – Dangerous Weapons
Carrying and Transporting a BB Gun
The concealed dangerous weapon law is the main state-level risk when a BB gun leaves your home. Tucking one into a waistband, dropping one into a backpack you’re wearing, or sliding one loose under a car seat can all be treated as carrying a concealed dangerous weapon. The statute does not require intent to harm anyone. Simply having the weapon concealed on or about your person is enough.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-101 – Dangerous Weapons
For vehicle transport, the safer approach is to keep the BB gun unloaded, inside an enclosed case, and in the trunk or a cargo area that isn’t within easy reach of anyone in the passenger compartment. That separation undercuts any claim that the BB gun was concealed on or about a person. Loaded and within arm’s reach is the fastest route to a charge.
Maryland has no single statewide distance rule for discharging a BB gun, but the general prohibition on brandishing a weapon in a way that frightens others applies everywhere. Pointing a BB gun at someone, or waving one around in a public place, can trigger criminal charges even if you never pull the trigger.
BB Guns on School Property Are a Separate Crime
Bringing a BB gun onto public school grounds is its own offense. The deadly weapons on school property statute prohibits carrying or possessing a firearm, knife, or deadly weapon of any kind on public school property, and BB guns can qualify as deadly weapons under that provision. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine up to $1,000, or both.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-102 – Deadly Weapons on School Property
Parents of teenagers should read that carefully. A student who forgets a BB gun in a backpack after a weekend of target shooting and carries that bag to school on Monday is exposed to the same statute as a student who deliberately brings a knife. The law does not require intent to use the weapon; possession alone is the offense.
Local Discharge and Public Place Rules
Many Maryland counties and cities go well beyond state law on where a BB gun can be fired or even carried in public. If you live in or visit any of these jurisdictions, the local ordinance stacks on top of state rules.
- Baltimore City prohibits discharging or using any air rifle or BB gun within city limits, though possession inside a private home or use at a designated target range is allowed.5Baltimore City Code. Baltimore City Code Title 19 Section 59-26
- Montgomery County classifies air guns as firearms for local purposes, restricting their discharge to approved ranges.6Montgomery County. Montgomery County Code Chapter 57 – Weapons
- Anne Arundel County prohibits discharging a BB gun within 100 yards of a neighbor’s house without that neighbor’s permission.7American Legal Publishing. Anne Arundel County Code
- The City of Frederick, under a 2024 ordinance, prohibits possessing, carrying, displaying, or transporting a BB gun in any public place within the city unless an exception applies, and specifically bans brandishing a BB gun in a way that would make someone reasonably believe it is a real firearm or fear injury.8City of Frederick, MD. Ordinance Concerning Firearms, Dangerous Weapons, and Imitation/Replica Weapons
Frederick’s ordinance is unusually broad. A “public place” there includes any government-owned property or anywhere generally accessible to the public, which sweeps in parks, sidewalks, and parking lots. Before firing a BB gun in your backyard anywhere in the state, check your county or city code. What’s legal in rural Western Maryland can be a misdemeanor in the suburbs outside Baltimore.
Penalties for BB Gun Violations
Consequences range from local fines to state prison time depending on the conduct and location.
- Carrying a concealed dangerous weapon is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine up to $1,000, or both. If the evidence shows the weapon was carried with the deliberate purpose of injuring or killing someone, the court must impose the maximum prison sentence.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-101 – Dangerous Weapons
- A deadly weapon on school property is a misdemeanor carrying up to three years in prison, a fine up to $1,000, or both.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-102 – Deadly Weapons on School Property
- Local ordinance violations vary by jurisdiction. In Frederick, a first offense for unlawful discharge or brandishing carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.8City of Frederick, MD. Ordinance Concerning Firearms, Dangerous Weapons, and Imitation/Replica Weapons
One narrow point on criminal use: Maryland’s enhanced penalty for using a firearm in a violent crime uses the same explosive-charge definition of firearm,1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-204 so a BB gun does not technically trigger that specific enhancement. A prosecutor can still charge armed robbery or assault with a deadly weapon if a BB gun was used to threaten or injure someone, and a court can treat the BB gun as a deadly weapon at sentencing. The practical outcome is often just as severe.
Hunting Is a Narrow Exception
Maryland allows air guns for hunting some game, but the caliber and energy minimums are high enough that a standard BB gun does not qualify. Deer and black bear require an air gun firing a .40 caliber or larger projectile generating at least 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy at a single discharge, or one that propels an arrow at least 18 inches long at a minimum speed of 300 feet per second with a sharpened broadhead at least 7/8 inch wide and a working safety.9Maryland DNR. Devices for Hunting Deer and Black Bear A typical .177 caliber BB gun is not remotely close to those numbers. If hunting is the goal, a high-powered air rifle designed for it is what the regulations contemplate, along with a valid Maryland hunting license.
Civil Liability After an Injury
Criminal charges are not the only exposure. Anyone who injures another person or damages property with a BB gun can be sued. If a child shoots a neighbor’s window or injures another kid, the parents can be on the hook: Maryland law holds parents financially responsible for property damage and medical expenses when a minor causes willful or malicious harm, though the statute caps what a court can award on those claims. Ordinary negligence claims against the person who fired the BB gun carry no such cap. If a court finds you were careless and someone lost an eye, the damages track the full extent of the injury.
Homeowner’s insurance sometimes picks up BB gun incidents under personal liability coverage, but many policies exclude intentional acts. A teenager who deliberately fires at a passing car may leave the family without insurance coverage for the cracked windshield or the injury claim that follows.