Maryland Rifle Hunting Laws: Seasons, Bag Limits, and Penalties

Maryland rifle hunting laws restrict deer hunting with a rifle to just three counties: Allegany, Garrett, and Frederick. Everywhere else in the state, deer hunters must use a shotgun, muzzleloader, or archery equipment during firearm seasons. Rifles used for deer must fire a soft-nosed or expanding bullet producing at least 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, and hunters must wear fluorescent orange during any firearm deer season.

Where You Can Hunt Deer With a Rifle

Maryland splits deer management into two regions. Region A covers Allegany and Garrett counties in the western mountains. Region B covers the rest of the state. Rifles are legal for deer hunting in Region A and in Frederick County only. In every other county, a rifle is not a legal deer-hunting firearm.¹

The reasoning is straightforward. Most of Maryland is densely settled or agricultural, and a centerfire rifle round travels much farther than a shotgun slug. The three rifle-legal counties are the least populated parts of the state. On public land inside those counties, rifles are permitted during the official firearm season at places like Green Ridge and Savage River State Forest. On private land, you need the landowner’s written permission. Public and private parcels sit close together in western Maryland, so carry a boundary map.

Rifle and Ammunition Rules

Maryland does not publish a list of approved calibers. Instead, the state sets a performance minimum: a deer rifle must fire a single soft-nosed or expanding bullet generating at least 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.² Standard deer cartridges like .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, and .30-06 Springfield clear that number easily. Rimfire rounds like .22 LR do not, and are not legal for deer.

Some counties may impose additional cartridge restrictions, such as requiring straight-walled cartridges instead of bottleneck cartridges. Check the specific county rules before you buy ammunition.²

Fully automatic firearms are off the table for hunting. Semi-automatic rifles are allowed, but Maryland’s general firearm law caps detachable magazines at 10 rounds.³ Suppressors are legal for hunting in Maryland; the only paperwork is the federal NFA tax stamp and registration.

License, Stamps, and Hunter Education

Every hunter needs a valid Maryland hunting license, and you must carry it while hunting.⁴ Standard fees are:

Resident Regular Hunting License: $24.50 (ages 16 to 64)
Resident Senior Hunting License: $5.00 (age 65 and older, available in the calendar year you turn 65)
Resident Junior Hunting License: $10.50 (under 16, with parental permission)
Nonresident Hunting License: $130.00 (age 16 and older)
Nonresident Junior Hunting License: $65.00 (under 16)

⁵

Active-duty military members stationed in Maryland pay resident prices regardless of their home state.⁴

The regular firearm deer season does not require a separate paid stamp. You do need a Big Game Harvest Record, which is free from any DNR sport license agent, by mail, or as a printable download. Paid stamps apply to other deer seasons: an Archery Stamp costs $6 for residents, a Muzzleloader Stamp costs $6 for residents, and a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp for taking a third antlered deer in Region B costs $10 for residents.⁴

First-time license buyers must present a Certificate of Competency in Firearms and Hunter Safety. You’re exempt if you held a Maryland hunting license before July 1, 1977, or if you hunted on private land before that date and were legally exempt from the license requirement at the time.⁶ The state courses run through the Natural Resources Police and are usually free; some online third-party courses charge a fee.

Licenses go on sale August 1 each year and expire July 31 of the following year.⁷ Renew online through DNR, at authorized retail agents, or by mail.

Firearm Season Dates by Region

Season dates vary by region, so the same weekend can be open in one county and closed in another.

Region A: Allegany and Garrett

For the 2025–2026 season, Region A’s firearm dates include an early segment from October 16–18 and a longer segment from December 20 through January 3.⁸ These are the only counties where a rifle is legal all season, so this is the primary window for rifle hunters.

Region B, Including Frederick County

Region B’s regular firearm season runs from November 29 to December 13 for 2025–2026, with additional segments in early and late January. The January antlerless segment extends from January 12–31.⁸ Frederick is the only Region B county where you can use a rifle; anywhere else in Region B, you’ll need a shotgun or muzzleloader.

Shooting Hours

Legal shooting hours for deer run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. On Sundays in counties that allow Sunday hunting, hours are shortened to half an hour before sunrise through 10:30 a.m.⁹ DNR publishes sunrise and sunset tables each year.

Bag Limits

The statewide antlered deer limit is two per season across all weapon types combined, with no more than one antlered deer in any single weapon season. In Region B, a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp lets you take a third antlered white-tailed deer.

Antlerless limits diverge sharply between the two regions:

Region A: up to two antlerless deer total across all weapon seasons, with a daily limit of one.
Region B: up to 10 antlerless deer during the firearm season alone, with higher limits during archery season. The Suburban Deer Management Zone within Region B allows unlimited antlerless harvest during archery season.

Fluorescent Orange

During any firearm deer season, hunters and their companions must wear fluorescent orange. Maryland gives you two options: a cap made entirely of solid fluorescent orange, or a vest or jacket with front and back panels totaling at least 250 square inches of solid fluorescent orange, worn as an outer garment.¹⁰ Camouflage patterns that incorporate orange generally do not count toward the 250 inches because the color isn’t solid.

Bowhunters in the field during firearm or muzzleloader seasons must also wear orange. Hunters using ground blinds must display at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on or within 25 feet of the blind.¹⁰ Skipping the orange is one of the most common citations Natural Resources Police write.

Sunday Hunting

Most Maryland counties allow Sunday deer hunting during firearm season, with limits. Three counties prohibit Sunday hunting entirely during firearm season: Baltimore, Howard, and Prince George’s.⁹

In the remaining counties, Sunday hunting is allowed on private land. A smaller group also opens designated public lands on Sundays, including Allegany, Cecil, Garrett, St. Mary’s, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, among others.⁹ Several counties impose shortened Sunday shooting hours ending at 10:30 a.m. rather than sunset: Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester. DNR publishes a detailed Sunday calendar each year that breaks it down county by county.

Bringing a Rifle Into Maryland From Out of State

Federal law protects interstate transport of a rifle for hunters traveling to Maryland. Under 18 U.S.C. § 926A, you can transport a rifle through states where you might not otherwise be permitted to carry it, as long as you can lawfully possess it at both your origin and destination. The rifle must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor ammunition can be readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In vehicles without a separate trunk, the rifle must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or center console.¹¹

If you’re taking a harvested deer home, check your home state’s Chronic Wasting Disease rules. Many states prohibit importing whole carcasses and limit transport to deboned meat, cleaned skull plates, or hides.

Penalties

Maryland Natural Resources Police patrol public hunting areas, respond to complaints, and run field checks. They can ask for your license, harvest record, and identification at any time, and they do, especially on opening weekend.

Fines for hunting license violations start at $250 for a first offense and can reach $1,500. A second offense increases the maximum to $4,000 and up to one year in jail.¹² Poaching or reckless firearm use can bring criminal charges and suspension of hunting privileges.

Maryland belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, so a Maryland suspension can follow you into other member states. Losing your Maryland privileges for a serious violation can mean losing the ability to hunt in dozens of other states.¹³

Federal penalties can stack on top. Under the Lacey Act, transporting illegally harvested wildlife across state lines is a separate federal offense carrying civil penalties up to $10,000 and criminal penalties up to $20,000 and five years in prison for felony-level violations.¹¹ A state game violation becomes a federal case the moment the wildlife crosses a border.

1
Legal Information Institute (LII) / Cornell Law School. Maryland Code Regs. 08.03.04.04
2
Legal Information Institute (LII) / Cornell Law School. Maryland Code Regs. 08.03.04.05 – Devices for Hunting Deer and Black Bear
3
Legal Information Institute (LII) / Cornell Law School. Maryland Code Regs. 29.03.01.07 – Magazine Capacity
4
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland Hunting Licenses, Stamps and Permits
5
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Hunting Licenses, Stamps and Permits
6
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Hunter Education
7
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife and Heritage Service Licenses and Permits
8
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Hunting Seasons Calendar 2025-2026
9
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Sunday Deer Hunting in Maryland 2025-2026
10
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Fluorescent Orange
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms
12
Maryland Judiciary. DNR Fine Schedule
13
Department of Natural Resources Division. Wildlife Violator Compact