Are Tasers Legal in Maryland? Ownership, Carry, and Penalties

Yes. Tasers are legal in Maryland for adults 18 and older who have no disqualifying criminal convictions, and no permit or license is required to buy, own, or carry one. The state regulates these devices under Criminal Law Section 4-109, which sets the age floor, the prohibited-person categories, and the seller rules. A handful of location and use restrictions still apply.¹

Who Can Own One

Any Maryland resident at least 18 years old with a clean record under the statute can purchase, possess, and carry an electronic control device. That covers both probe-style devices (the kind that fire darts at a distance, commonly sold under the Taser brand) and contact stun guns that require direct touch. Unlike handguns, these devices need no permit.¹

Who Is Prohibited

Two categories of people cannot legally own or use an electronic control device in Maryland: anyone ever convicted of a “crime of violence” as the state defines it, and anyone convicted of certain serious drug offenses.¹

The crime-of-violence list in Section 14-101 is long. It includes murder, manslaughter (other than involuntary), rape, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, first-degree arson, first-degree child abuse, home invasion, first-degree assault, and assault offenses involving intent to murder, rape, or rob. Attempts count too.

The disqualifying drug offenses are found in Sections 5-602 through 5-606, 5-613, and 5-614 of the Criminal Law article. These cover manufacturing, distributing, or possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, along with related importation and trafficking charges. A simple possession conviction, by itself, does not disqualify you under this statute.

Where You Cannot Carry One

Public school property is off-limits. Maryland bars anyone from carrying a “firearm, knife, or deadly weapon of any kind” on public school grounds, with narrow exceptions for law enforcement, school security staff, and people invited by a principal for an educational demonstration. The statute doesn’t name electronic control devices specifically, but the “deadly weapon of any kind” language reaches them. A violation is a misdemeanor carrying up to three years in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.²

Federal buildings and courthouses are also closed to these devices. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, bringing a “dangerous weapon” into a federal facility can bring up to one year in prison, and up to two years for a federal court facility. The statute defines “dangerous weapon” broadly as any device readily capable of causing serious bodily injury, which covers stun guns and Tasers.³

One more wrinkle: Maryland law explicitly allows local governments to adopt restrictions on electronic control devices that go beyond the state rules.¹ Check your local ordinances before assuming the state statute is the whole picture.

Using a Taser in Self-Defense

Maryland uses a reasonable-force standard. You can use a Taser or stun gun only if you genuinely believe you face an immediate threat of bodily harm, and the force you use must be proportional to the threat. Reaching for a stun gun during a verbal argument or over a minor shove would likely be treated as excessive and could lead to assault charges.

Maryland also imposes a duty to retreat. If you can safely back away from a dangerous situation before using force, you’re expected to. The main exception is the castle doctrine: inside your own home, you have no duty to retreat and can stand your ground against an attacker. Outside the home, a court will look at whether you had a realistic chance to leave before deciding whether your use of force was justified.

A justified use of force isn’t a shield against a civil lawsuit. The person you stunned can still sue you for battery, and you’d need to prove self-defense again under a lower standard. Criminal cases demand proof beyond a reasonable doubt; a civil plaintiff only has to show it’s more likely than not that your force was unjustified. People who win on the criminal side sometimes still lose on the civil side.

Penalties for Violations

Consequences depend on what you were doing when the violation happened.

Possessing or using an electronic control device while underage or with a disqualifying conviction is a misdemeanor punishable by up to two months in jail, a fine up to $500, or both.¹
Violating the possession rules while committing a separate crime of violence is a felony with up to three years in prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both.¹
Carrying any deadly weapon on public school grounds is a separate misdemeanor with up to three years in jail and a fine up to $1,000.²

Using a stun gun aggressively without a self-defense justification can also lead to separate assault or battery charges, which carry their own penalties on top of anything under the ECD statute.

Buying From a Dealer

Before completing a sale, a manufacturer or seller in Maryland has to run a state and federal criminal history records check on the buyer to confirm the person isn’t prohibited. The seller must also provide an instructional manual or audio/video instructions, and the manufacturer must keep a record of every original purchaser.¹ Buying from a reputable dealer matters. A private sale that skips the background check can put both parties on the wrong side of the law.

Flying or Driving With a Taser

Tasers and stun guns are not allowed in carry-on bags at Maryland airports. The TSA does allow them in checked luggage, but the device must be packed so it cannot accidentally discharge. Most models use lithium batteries, so check current FAA battery rules before packing. The TSA officer at the checkpoint has final say on whether an item gets through.⁴

Driving across state lines is its own problem. Electronic control device laws vary widely: some states ban civilian possession, others require permits or registration, and others impose no restrictions. A device that’s lawful in Maryland can expose you to criminal charges the moment you cross into another jurisdiction, so look up the rules for every state on your route before you travel.

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 4-109 – Electronic Control Device
2
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code Section 4-102 – Deadly Weapons on School Property
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
4
Transportation Security Administration. Stun Guns/Shocking Devices