Maryland’s Firearm Safety Act of 2013 reshaped who can buy a gun in the state, how the sale has to happen, and which firearms and magazines are off the market entirely. Governor Martin O’Malley signed SB 281 on May 16, 2013, and its provisions took effect on October 1, 2013.1Maryland General Assembly. SB0281 – Firearm Safety Act of 2013 If you own, buy, or move to Maryland with a firearm, five parts of the law drive almost every decision you’ll make: the Handgun Qualification License, the seven-day transfer process, the assault weapon and copycat ban, the 10-round magazine cap, and an expanded list of people who are disqualified from possession.
Getting a Handgun Qualification License
Before you can buy, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland, you need a Handgun Qualification License (HQL). The requirement covers private transactions, not just dealer sales.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-117.1 – Handgun Qualification License Required for Purchase of Handguns The license lasts 10 years. The initial application is $50, plus a separate Livescan fingerprinting fee paid to the fingerprint vendor. Renewal is $20 for another decade.3Maryland State Police. Handgun Qualification License
To qualify, you have to complete an approved firearms safety training course within three years before applying. The course runs at least four hours of classroom instruction on Maryland firearm law, home firearm safety, and handgun mechanisms,2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-117.1 – Handgun Qualification License Required for Purchase of Handguns and it includes a live-fire component where you safely shoot a handgun and hit a target.4Maryland State Police. Live Fire Courses After training you submit Livescan fingerprints for a state and federal background check, then file the application through the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal.
Who Is Exempt
Not everyone needs an HQL. Licensed firearms manufacturers, active and retired law enforcement officers, active and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard, and buyers of antique, curio, or relic firearms as defined by federal law are exempt.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-117.1 Exemption only removes the training and licensing step. Exempt buyers still go through the standard background check and seven-day waiting period on a regulated firearm.
The HQL Is Not a Carry Permit
The HQL authorizes you to purchase and possess a handgun. Carrying one on your person outside your home is a separate license, the Wear and Carry Permit, with its own 16-hour training requirement, higher fee, and independent State Police investigation.6Maryland State Police. Wear and Carry Permit Having an HQL does not give you carry authority.
How a Regulated Firearm Transfer Works
“Regulated firearm” in Maryland means handguns and assault weapons. Every transfer of a regulated firearm, whether from a dealer or between two private parties, triggers a mandatory seven-day waiting period. The clock starts when the buyer completes a firearm application and the dealer or a designated law enforcement agency submits it to the Maryland State Police. The firearm cannot change hands until those seven days pass.7Maryland Register of Regulations. COMAR 29.03.01.54 – Gun Shows, Sales, Rentals, and Transfers
Private sales still run through the same channel. If neither party is a dealer, the transaction has to be processed by a licensed dealer or a designated law enforcement agency. The seller physically transports the firearm, unloaded and in a locked container, to the dealer. The buyer completes the application in person. The dealer submits everything to the State Police.7Maryland Register of Regulations. COMAR 29.03.01.54 – Gun Shows, Sales, Rentals, and Transfers There is no legal way to complete a private handgun sale in Maryland without a dealer or law enforcement intermediary.
Banned Assault Weapons and Copycat Firearms
The Act bans a named list of semi-automatic rifles and pistols classified as assault weapons and also prohibits “copycat weapons.” The copycat category catches most people out, because a firearm that does not appear on the named ban list can still be illegal if it matches certain feature combinations.
A semi-automatic centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine is a copycat weapon if it has any two of the following: a folding stock, a grenade or flare launcher, or a flash suppressor. A semi-automatic centerfire rifle is also banned outright if its overall length is less than 29 inches, or if it has a fixed magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds. The definition reaches beyond rifles. A semi-automatic pistol with a fixed magazine accepting more than 10 rounds, a semi-automatic shotgun with a folding stock, and a shotgun with a revolving cylinder all qualify as copycat weapons.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-301
You may not transport an assault weapon into Maryland or possess, sell, or transfer one within the state.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-303 Firearms lawfully possessed before October 1, 2013, are generally grandfathered, but the owner must maintain continuous possession and cannot sell or transfer the weapon within Maryland.
The ban has been upheld. In Kolbe v. Hogan, the Fourth Circuit ruled in 2017 that the banned firearms are not protected by the Second Amendment because they are most useful in military service, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.10Justia. Kolbe v Hogan, No. 14-1945 (4th Cir. 2017)
The 10-Round Magazine Limit
Maryland prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, receipt, or transfer of any detachable magazine holding more than 10 rounds. The ban does not apply to .22 caliber rifles with tubular magazines, or to active and retired law enforcement officers.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-305 – Detachable Magazines
Simple possession is not banned. If you already owned a higher-capacity magazine before the law took effect, or you legally acquired one outside Maryland, possessing it in the state is not a crime. What you cannot do is buy one in Maryland, sell one, or hand one to another person inside the state. The restriction targets commercial activity and transfers, not ownership.
Who Cannot Own a Firearm Under the Act
Maryland’s disqualification list is significantly broader than the federal baseline. Under state law, you cannot possess a regulated firearm if you have been convicted of a crime of violence or certain drug offenses, if you were sentenced to more than two years for a common law crime, if you are a fugitive from justice, if you are a habitual drunkard or habitual user of controlled substances, if you were voluntarily admitted to a mental health facility for more than 30 consecutive days, if you were involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for any length of time, if you have been found incompetent to stand trial or not criminally responsible, if you are subject to a protective order (including out-of-state and tribal orders), if you are under a court-appointed guardianship (except one based solely on physical disability), or if you are under 30 and were adjudicated delinquent for a juvenile act that would have been a disqualifying crime as an adult.12Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-133
Watch the commitment distinction. Involuntary commitment of any length disqualifies you. Voluntary admission only triggers the ban if you stayed more than 30 consecutive days. People who sought treatment voluntarily years ago sometimes assume it has no bearing on firearm ownership. It can.
Penalty for Prohibited Possession
Possessing a regulated firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence or certain drug offenses is a felony carrying 5 to 15 years in prison. The court cannot suspend any part of the five-year mandatory minimum, and parole is not available during that period.12Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-133 If more than five years have passed since you finished serving your sentence, including probation and parole, the mandatory minimum becomes discretionary, and the State’s Attorney has to give you 30 days’ written notice before seeking it.
Moving to Maryland With Firearms
If you move to Maryland with regulated firearms (handguns or grandfathered assault weapons), you have to register them with the Maryland State Police within 90 days of establishing residency. The registration lists the serial number, make, model, and caliber of each firearm.13Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-143 – Registration Requirements for Persons Moving Into State The fee is a flat $15 no matter how many firearms you register at once.
The clock starts when you establish residency, not when you get a Maryland driver’s license or take some other official step, and missing the window puts the legality of your possession in doubt. Treat registration as one of the first things you do after moving.
Safe Storage Around Minors
As of October 1, 2023, it is illegal to store or leave a loaded firearm where you know or should know that an unsupervised minor under 18 can get to it. The rule does not apply when the minor’s access is supervised by an adult, when access results from an unlawful entry, or when the minor holds a firearm and hunter safety certificate. The provision sits in Criminal Law § 4-104(c), and it ties back into the disqualification framework: a second or subsequent conviction under § 4-104 bars a person from possessing regulated firearms.12Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-133