Maryland has no concealed carry reciprocity with any other state. A permit issued anywhere else carries no legal weight the moment you cross into Maryland, and carrying a handgun without a Maryland-issued Wear and Carry Permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years in prison. Maryland residents traveling in the other direction have better news: roughly 34 states honor the Maryland permit, though most of that coverage comes from states that allow permitless carry rather than from formal reciprocity agreements.
Maryland Recognizes No Out-of-State Permits
Under Maryland Criminal Law § 4-203, no one may carry a handgun in the state without specific legal authorization, and a permit from another state does not qualify.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 4-203 – Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting a Handgun There are no reciprocity agreements. There is no temporary recognition for visitors, no grace period, and no exception for neighboring states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Drive into Maryland with a loaded handgun on your hip and a Virginia concealed handgun permit in your wallet, and you are committing a crime.
A first offense is a misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum of 30 days and up to five years in prison, a fine between $250 and $2,500, or both.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 4-203 – Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting a Handgun On public school property, the minimum jumps to 90 days. Repeat offenders face steeper penalties. This is not a charge that gets waved off at a traffic stop.
States That Honor a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit
Even though Maryland refuses to recognize outside permits, a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit is accepted in a large share of the country. The reason is structural: most of that coverage comes from the 29 states that now allow permitless carry. In those states, anyone legally allowed to possess a firearm can carry concealed without any permit at all, so the Maryland permit is valid by default.
States where the Maryland permit is honored through permitless carry include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Each sets its own minimum age, ranging from 18 to 21.
A smaller group of states honors the Maryland permit through their own licensing frameworks rather than permitless carry: Michigan (resident permits only, age 21 and older), Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia (age 21 and older), and Wisconsin (age 21 and older). Combined with the permitless carry states, roughly 34 states accept the Maryland permit in some form.
Reciprocity maps shift often. A state that honors your permit this year may adjust its position next legislative session, and age thresholds vary. Before any trip, verify the current status with the destination state’s attorney general or state police. And remember that acceptance of your permit does not override local rules: every state enforces its own restrictions on where you can carry, including schools, courthouses, and places serving alcohol.
If You’re Passing Through Maryland Without a Permit
If you don’t hold a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit but need to move a firearm through the state, federal law offers a narrow protection. Under 18 U.S.C. § 926A, you may transport a firearm through any state as long as you can lawfully possess it at both your origin and your destination, the gun is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor the ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms In a vehicle without a separate trunk, the firearm and ammunition must be locked in a container other than the glove compartment or console.
Maryland’s own transport guidance is stricter in practice. The Maryland State Police advise that handguns being transported be unloaded, stored in an enclosed case or holster with ammunition kept separate, and ideally locked in the trunk out of the driver’s reach.3Maryland Department of State Police. FAQs Federal safe passage is designed for continuous travel. If you make extended stops, go shopping, or check into a hotel along the way, you risk losing that protection.
Getting a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit as a Non-Resident
Because Maryland won’t recognize your home-state permit, the only lawful way to carry in Maryland is to hold a Maryland permit. Non-residents can apply through the same process as residents, submitted through the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal.4Maryland Department of State Police. Wear and Carry Permit Maryland became a shall-issue state in 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen, which meant the state could no longer require applicants to show a “good and substantial reason” to carry.5Supreme Court of the United States. New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen If you meet the qualifications, the state must issue the permit.
Applicants must be at least 21 (18 for active uniformed service members or National Guard), free of disqualifying criminal history, controlled substance convictions, certain mental health adjudications, and active protective orders. Before applying, you must complete a 16-hour firearms safety course with live-fire qualification, taught by a Maryland State Police-certified instructor, which typically runs $300 to $500. You also need LiveScan fingerprints from an approved vendor.6Maryland Department of State Police. Fingerprinting The application fee is $125, and processing takes up to 90 days.4Maryland Department of State Police. Wear and Carry Permit
A Maryland Permit Still Has Limits
Holding a Wear and Carry Permit, whether as a resident or a visiting non-resident, does not let you carry everywhere. Maryland maintains a long list of prohibited places, expanded significantly by October 2023 legislation.7Maryland Department of State Police. Prohibited Places to Carry a Firearm Firearms are off-limits in:
- Schools and child care centers, including public and private K-12 schools and preschools
- Any building owned or leased by state or local government, including legislative buildings and public universities
- Polling places during voting or canvassing
- State parks, forests, and highway rest areas
- Hospitals
- Public demonstrations, and within 1,000 feet of one while in a vehicle
Carrying while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is separately prohibited. Federal property, including post offices and federal courthouses, follows federal restrictions regardless of your state permit.
One more trap for out-of-state visitors: magazine capacity. Maryland law restricts detachable magazines holding more than 10 rounds.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 4-305 – Detachable Magazines The statute targets sale, purchase, and transfer rather than simple possession, but bringing standard-capacity magazines from a neighboring state creates legal exposure you don’t want to test at a traffic stop. Hollow-point ammunition, by contrast, is legal to own and carry in Maryland with no state-level restriction for lawful permit holders.