Maryland requires a Wear and Carry Permit to carry a handgun, openly or concealed, and Maryland does not honor concealed carry permits from any other state. If you are driving through Maryland on a permit from your home state, that permit does not authorize you to carry there.
Maryland became effectively shall issue after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, then responded with the Gun Safety Act of 2023, which created one of the most extensive prohibited-location lists in the country. Parts of that law are still in active litigation. This guide covers the permit process, the current restrictions, and how to transport a firearm through Maryland legally.
Maryland concealed carry at a glance
| Permit name | Handgun Wear and Carry Permit (WCP) |
| Issuing authority | Maryland Department of State Police |
| Issued to | Residents and non-residents |
| Minimum age | 21, or a member of the armed forces, National Guard, or uniformed services |
| Permitless carry | No |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None |
| Training required | 16 hours initial, 8 hours renewal, with live fire |
| Live fire qualification | 25 rounds, 70% accuracy minimum |
| Initial validity | 2 years plus the months to your next birthday month |
| Renewal validity | 3 years |
| Separate license to buy a handgun | Yes, the Handgun Qualification License |
| Open carry | Requires the same Wear and Carry Permit |
On this page
- Driving through Maryland with a firearm
- Wear and Carry Permit vs Handgun Qualification License
- Who qualifies
- The 16-hour training requirement
- How to apply
- What it costs
- How long the permit lasts
- Renewing
- Where you cannot carry in Maryland
- The SB 1 litigation and what it means right now
- The motor vehicle exception
- Maryland self-defense law
- Maryland reciprocity
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Can I drive through Maryland with my out-of-state carry permit?
No. Maryland honors no out-of-state concealed carry permits. Your home state permit gives you nothing in Maryland, and carrying a loaded handgun on your person or accessible in your vehicle in Maryland without a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit is a serious criminal offense.
This matters more in Maryland than in most states because I-95 runs straight through it. Drivers moving between Virginia and the Northeast pass through Maryland whether they intend to or not.
To transport a handgun through Maryland lawfully without a Maryland permit, the firearm should be unloaded, secured in a locked container, with ammunition stored separately, and you should be traveling directly between locations where possession is lawful. The federal Firearm Owners Protection Act safe passage provision at 18 U.S.C. § 926A provides a defense for interstate transport meeting those conditions, though it is a defense rather than a guarantee against arrest.
[VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: pull Md. Code, Criminal Law § 4-203 and enumerate the specific statutory transport exceptions rather than relying on the general description above. This is the single highest-traffic question on this page and readers act on it, so it needs the statute rather than a summary.]
Wear and Carry Permit vs Handgun Qualification License
Maryland uses two separate credentials and people conflate them constantly. They do different things and you may need both.
| Wear and Carry Permit | Handgun Qualification License | |
|---|---|---|
| What it allows | Carrying a handgun in public | Purchasing or receiving a regulated firearm |
| Training | 16 hours initial, 8 hours renewal | 4 hours |
| Live fire | Required | Required |
| Issued by | Maryland State Police | Maryland State Police |
| Needed to carry | Yes | No |
| Needed to buy a handgun | No | Yes |
A Maryland resident who wants to buy a handgun and carry it needs both. A non-resident who only wants to carry in Maryland needs the Wear and Carry Permit.
Who qualifies for a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit?
Maryland issues Wear and Carry Permits to applicants who are 21 or older, or who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces, the National Guard, or the uniformed services, under Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-306(a)(1)(i).
Maryland disqualifies applicants who have been convicted of a felony, or of a misdemeanor for which a sentence of more than one year was imposed, or of a criminal offense for which they could have been sentenced to more than two years.
Maryland is shall issue in practice. Following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, the Governor directed the Maryland State Police to suspend the previous “good and substantial reason” standard. Applicants no longer have to justify a need to carry.
Maryland issues Wear and Carry Permits to non-residents on the same terms as residents, which is unusual for a restrictive state and worth knowing if you travel through Maryland regularly.
[VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: pull the full § 5-306 disqualifier list including the HB 824 additions effective October 1, 2023, which added new disqualifiers tied to § 4-104 convictions.]
What training does Maryland require for a Wear and Carry Permit?
Maryland requires 16 hours of instruction for an initial Wear and Carry Permit and 8 hours for a renewal, taught by a Maryland State Police Qualified Handgun Instructor. This is among the most demanding training requirements of any state.
The curriculum covers state firearm law, home firearm safety, and handgun mechanisms and operation. House Bill 824, effective October 1, 2023, revised the required curriculum, and the Maryland State Police developed a new compliant course in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Health.
Live fire qualification
Maryland requires a live fire qualification with a minimum score of 70% accuracy. Most applicants shoot a Basic Practical Handgun Course of at least 25 rounds from no further than 15 yards. Designated security personnel, meaning security guards, private detectives, special police, and armored car drivers and guards, shoot a Practical Police Course of at least 50 rounds from no further than 25 yards.
You upload a completed and signed MSP 29-14 Certified Qualification Score Sheet to the documents section of your application in the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal.
How do I apply for a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit?
Maryland Wear and Carry Permit applications are submitted online through the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal. Submitting the application does not authorize you to carry. You must wait for the permit to be issued.
- Complete the 16-hour approved training course with a Qualified Handgun Instructor, including live fire qualification
- Obtain your signed MSP 29-14 Certified Qualification Score Sheet
- Submit fingerprints
- Log into the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal and start a handgun permit application
- Upload the score sheet, a passport-style photo, and supporting documents
- Pay the application fee
How much does a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit cost?
House Bill 824, effective October 1, 2023, increased Maryland Wear and Carry Permit fees. Training providers report the initial application fee at $125, and that is before the cost of the 16-hour course, range time, ammunition, and fingerprinting, which together typically exceed the application fee by a wide margin.
[VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: confirm the current initial and renewal application fees from the Maryland State Police fee schedule rather than from training providers. Then give a realistic all-in range including course cost, since the application fee alone badly understates what a Maryland permit actually costs.]
How long is a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit valid?
A Maryland initial Wear and Carry Permit is valid for two years plus the number of months remaining until your next birthday month, so the exact length depends on when you apply. Applying just after your birthday yields close to two years and eleven months. Applying just before yields closer to two years and one month.
Maryland renewals extend the permit for three years.
How do I renew a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit?
Maryland renewals require 8 hours of approved training with live fire qualification, but no fingerprinting. You may apply no earlier than 90 days before your current permit expires.
Do not let a Maryland permit expire. An expired Maryland Wear and Carry Permit cannot be renewed. It has to be treated as a new initial application, meaning the full 16 hours of training, new fingerprints, and the initial fee. That is a meaningfully expensive mistake.
Where can you not carry in Maryland?
Maryland prohibits carrying in an unusually long list of locations, even with a valid Wear and Carry Permit. The Maryland State Police publish the list below and note that it should not be considered all-inclusive.
Areas for children or vulnerable adults
- Preschools and pre-kindergarten facilities and their grounds, CR § 4-111(c)
- Private primary and secondary schools and their grounds, CR § 4-111(c)
- Public school property, CR § 4-102
- Child care centers, except small centers located in residences, COMAR 13A.16.10.04
- Health care facilities including hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulatory surgical centers, and rehabilitation centers, CR § 4-111(c)
- Community adult rehabilitation centers, COMAR 12.02.03.10
Government and public infrastructure
- Buildings or parts of buildings owned or leased by state or local government, CR § 4-111(d)(1)
- State highway rest areas, where firearms may not be displayed or discharged, COMAR 11.04.07.12
- State forests, except for permitted hunting and target shooting, COMAR 08.07.01.04
- State parks, except for permitted hunting and target shooting, COMAR 08.07.06.04
- Chesapeake Forest lands, except for permitted hunting and target shooting, COMAR 08.01.07.14
- Buildings of public or private higher education institutions, CR § 4-111(d)(1)
- Facilities used as polling places or for ballot canvassing, CR § 4-111(d)(1)
- Gas and electric plants or storage facilities, CR § 4-111(d)(1)
- Nuclear power plant facilities, CR § 4-111(d)(1)
- Legislative buildings, SG § 2-1702
Special purpose areas
- Establishments licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption, including both bars and restaurants, CR § 4-111(e)
- Stadiums, CR § 4-111(e)
- Museums, CR § 4-111(e)
- Amusement parks, CR § 4-111(e)
- Racetracks, CR § 4-111(e)
- Video lottery facilities and casinos, CR § 4-111(e)
The alcohol restriction is worth reading twice. Maryland’s provision reaches restaurants that serve alcohol just as much as bars. There is no restaurant carve-out, which is a sharp difference from states like Virginia and Georgia.
Private property
Maryland restricts carry on private property of all kinds unless the owner or the owner’s agent has given express permission or has posted a clear and conspicuous sign stating that it is permissible to wear, carry, or transport a firearm on the property.
This is the inverse of how most states handle private property, where carry is permitted unless the owner prohibits it. In Maryland the default runs the other way. This is also the provision most affected by the ongoing litigation covered below.
Other locations
- Aboard aircraft, TR § 5-1008
- Lodging establishments where the innkeeper reasonably believes an individual possesses property dangerous to others, BR § 15-203
- Dredge boats, except for a 10-gauge shotgun, NR § 4-1013
The SB 1 litigation and what it means right now
Maryland’s Gun Safety Act of 2023, Senate Bill 1, took effect October 1, 2023 and created most of the location restrictions above. It has been in continuous litigation since, and parts of it have been enjoined, reinstated, and stayed at different points.
The consolidated cases are Kipke v. Moore, brought by the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association, and Novotny v. Moore, brought by Maryland Shall Issue, the Second Amendment Foundation, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and three individuals.
- September 29, 2023. A federal district court preliminarily enjoined three provisions: the presumptive ban on carry in privately owned buildings open to the public, the ban on carry in locations licensed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption, and the ban on firearms within 1,000 feet of a demonstration.
- August 2, 2024. The district court made that injunction permanent in final judgment.
- January 20, 2026. The Fourth Circuit issued its opinion in Kipke v. Moore, No. 24-1799, partially reversing. It struck down the default ban on carry in privately owned buildings open to the public, sometimes called the vampire rule, but upheld most other restrictions including the alcohol-location ban and the 1,000-foot demonstration ban.
- April 20, 2026. Maryland filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on the portions it lost. The Fourth Circuit granted a motion to hold the cases in abeyance pending disposition.
The motor vehicle exception
Maryland’s October 2023 location restrictions do not apply to a firearm carried or transported in a motor vehicle when the firearm is either locked in a container, or is a handgun worn, carried, or transported by a permit holder in compliance with any limitations imposed under Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-307.
That exception is what allows a Maryland permit holder to drive past or park at many of the restricted locations above without committing an offense, and it is why the practical advice in Maryland is so often “leave it in the car, locked.”
Is Maryland a stand your ground state?
No. Maryland is a duty to retreat state. Maryland common law generally requires a person to retreat from a confrontation if they can do so safely before using deadly force in public.
Maryland recognizes a castle doctrine exception inside the home, where there is no duty to retreat from your own dwelling. Deadly force in Maryland is justified only against a reasonably perceived imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
Maryland’s duty to retreat puts it in the minority of states and makes it materially different from neighboring Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. If you carry across those lines regularly, the legal standard changes when you cross.
Maryland concealed carry reciprocity
States that honor a Maryland Resident permit
States that do NOT honor a Maryland Resident permit
- American Samoa
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- Virgin Islands
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
States that honor a Maryland Non-Resident permit
States that do NOT honor a Maryland Non-Resident permit
- American Samoa
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Virgin Islands
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Permits Maryland honors
No states in this category.
Permits Maryland does NOT honor
- Alabama
- Alaska
- American Samoa
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Last verified: August 13, 2026
Maryland recognizes no out-of-state concealed carry permits. There are no Maryland reciprocity agreements to look up, because Maryland has not entered any.
A Maryland Wear and Carry Permit is recognized by a number of other states, so the map above is useful in the outbound direction. For anyone traveling into Maryland, the answer is the same regardless of which permit you hold: it is not valid there.
The practical option for frequent travelers is that Maryland issues Wear and Carry Permits to non-residents on the same terms as residents.
Maryland concealed carry FAQ
No. Maryland honors no out-of-state concealed carry permits. Carrying a loaded handgun in Maryland without a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit is a serious criminal offense regardless of what permit you hold from your home state.
Yes. Maryland issues Wear and Carry Permits to non-residents on the same terms as residents, including the same 16 hours of training and live fire qualification.
Yes, in practice. After the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, Maryland suspended its previous good and substantial reason standard, so applicants no longer have to justify a need to carry.
Maryland requires 16 hours of instruction for an initial Wear and Carry Permit and 8 hours for a renewal, taught by a Maryland State Police Qualified Handgun Instructor, including a live fire qualification with a minimum score of 70 percent.
A Maryland initial permit is valid for two years plus the number of months remaining until your next birthday month, so the exact length depends on when you apply. Maryland renewals extend the permit for three years.
An expired Maryland Wear and Carry Permit cannot be renewed. It must be treated as a new initial application, requiring the full 16 hours of training, new fingerprints, and the initial application fee.
Maryland prohibits carrying in establishments licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption under CR 4-111(e), and that provision reaches restaurants as well as bars with no restaurant carve-out. This restriction has been the subject of ongoing litigation, so confirm its current enforcement status before relying on it.
The Wear and Carry Permit allows you to carry a handgun in public and requires 16 hours of training. The Handgun Qualification License allows you to purchase or receive a regulated firearm and requires 4 hours of training. A Maryland resident who wants to buy a handgun and carry it needs both.
No. Maryland is a duty to retreat state. Maryland common law generally requires a person to retreat from a confrontation if they can do so safely before using deadly force in public, with a castle doctrine exception inside the home.
No. Maryland prohibits firearms in state parks, state forests, and Chesapeake Forest lands except for hunting and target shooting where permitted, under COMAR 08.07.06.04, 08.07.01.04, and 08.01.07.14.
Yes. Maryland restricts carry on private property unless the owner or the owner’s agent has given express permission or posted a clear and conspicuous sign stating that carrying a firearm is permissible. This is the reverse of how most states handle private property.
Maryland requires a Wear and Carry Permit to carry a handgun openly or concealed. There is no separate open carry allowance and no permitless carry in Maryland.
No. Maryland does not require fingerprinting for Wear and Carry Permit renewals. Renewals do require 8 hours of approved training with live fire qualification, and may be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the current permit expires.
I work to keep this page current, but Maryland law is in active litigation and changes frequently. It is your responsibility to verify before you carry. This page is informational and is not legal advice. Contact a Maryland attorney for advice on your specific situation.
