Maryland Concealed Carry Permit Information

Click here to view the Maryland Concealed Carry Permit Map at the bottom of the page.

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Concealed Permit:
May Issue to Residents and Non-Residents

Example Resident Permit:
Maryland Concealed Carry Permit

Issuing Authority:
Application for a permit to carry a handgun is made to the Secretary of State Police.

NICS check:
Yes.

Permit Valid For:
The permit is valid for two years after its issuance and expires on the last day of the holder’s birth month. Subsequent renewals are valid for periods of three years each.

Cost:
Original Application = $70
Renewal Application = $50
Duplicate of Modification = $10
Fingerprint Fee = $5

Requirements:
1. Is 18 years of age or older.
2. Has not been convicted of a felony or of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.
3. Has not been committed within the previous 10 years to any juvenile detention center for longer than one year.
4. Is not an addict or alcoholic nor has ever been convicted of a narcotics offense.
5. Has not, based on the results of investigation, exhibited a propensity for violence or instability.
6. Has, based on the results of investigation, “good and substantial reason” to carry a handgun, including a finding that the permit is “necessary as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger.” [5]

Required Documents:
1. The applicant should submit a notarized letter stating the reasons why he is applying for a permit
2. Completed application

Renewal Information:
Applications for renewals should be submitted 90 days prior to expiration.

Change of Address

Informing Law Enforcement of Carry:

Automobile carry:
Rifles and shotguns being transported in motor vehicles must be unloaded.

It is a crime to wear or carry openly any rifle or shotgun with the intent or purpose of unlawfully injuring any person.

It is unlawful for any person without a permit to wear or carry a handgun, openly or concealed, upon or about his person, or to knowingly transport a handgun in any vehicle traveling on public roads, highways, waterways or airways or upon roads or parking lots generally used by the public. This does not apply to any person wearing, carrying or transporting a handgun within the confines of real estate owned or leased by him, or on which he resided, or within the confines of a business establishment owned or leased by him. [3]

Federal and Maryland State or local law enforcement officers generally are exempt from the permit requirement. However, sheriffs and their deputies are exempted only while on active assignment engaged in law enforcement and only with respect to handguns which they are duly authorized to wear, carry or transport as part of their official equipment. Law enforcement officers from other states are exempt only while on official business.

No violation is committed by any person who can demonstrate that the handgun is being carried, worn or transported:

1. To or from a place of legal purchase or sale or repair shop.
2. Between such person’s bona fide residences or between his residence and place of business if the business is operated and substantially owned by that person.
3. While engaged in or traveling to and from a “target shoot, formal or informal target practice, sport shooting event, hunting, trapping or dog obedience training class or show.”
4. By a bona fide gun collector who is “moving any part or all of his gun collection from place to place for public or private exhibition,” and while such handguns are actually on exhibition.

During transportation to and from the above places, the handguns must be unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or enclosed holster. [4]

An additional penalty is provided for any person convicted of unlawfully wearing, carrying or transporting a handgun, if his deliberate purpose was to injury or kill another person.

Places off-limits when carrying:

Alcohol and Drugs:
It is unlawful for a permit holder to carry a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Deadly Force / Castle Doctrine:
Maryland is a Castle Doctrine state and does have a stand-your-ground law.

Senate Bill 411, sponsored by State Senator Mac Middleton (D-28), provides civil immunity from damages when force, including deadly force, is used under reasonable circumstances to repel an attack in the person’s dwelling or place of business. Pursuant to Maryland law, this measure will be effective on October 1, 2010.

Open Carry:
Prohibited in most public areas.

Localities with Varying Laws:

Forms & Links:
NRA-ILA: Maryland Gun Laws

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  • Vmitex1974

    In reality, the only people who carry in the Peoples Republic of Maryland are felons and thugs.
    Law abiding people are given the run around until they give up trying for a CCL

  • marylandsucks

    its a shame that maryland hasnt come around yet. i cant carry my handgun on trips back to West Virginia because i travel a 50 mile stretch through maryland. if i could i would avoid this state all together.

  • Tap 76

    I am a PA resident and self empleyed contractor that does a fair amount of work in southwest Baltimore and feel a little out of place not carrying in that area… come on MD. Its not the law abiding folks that are the problem.

    • Cucumber35

      Submit an application.  You might be surprised.  Just be very thorough and cross all your t’s and dot your i’s.  I’m also a PA resident and a self-employed contractor and i recieved a permit.

    • CB

      Well said Sir!  I agree with you.  I am a Virginia resident with a CCW.  I work a lot in MD and sometimes in Baltimore.  Like you ” I feel a little unsafe not legally being able to protect myself in that area. 

  • ArmyVet0409

    They are trying again to get it so we can carry in MD lets hope it works this time.

  • bassplayeratlarge

    i`m a musican, and often confronted by thugs who wait for you after a gig , i live in the dc md area, i need a conceal carry permit, before my luck runs out,because i`m getting older now and being approached more often when walking to my vehicle with my equipment .  

    • Craigzy1

      Getting harrassed after a gig is not going to get you a permit. I would not list that as your reason for applying.

    • John_Wayne

       Sorry ’bout your luck BPAL.  In the eyes of the law you are just a derelict musician whose life and musical gear isn’t worth the political firestorm that would be raised by the local media after they twist and sensationalize the reports of a shootout occurring at 3 am outside a bar in some Md. suburb.  You see, unless you are carrying 5K in cash or valuables on you on a regular basis, or unless you are well connected and can get a political favor, you don’t really matter.  Your life is worthless unless you can contribute to the Maryland Political Machine. Welcome to Maryland, now kneel and kiss the ring.

      IMHO, it’s better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.  If you have a warriors heart, and if you believe in your Constitution, you will carry anyway and accept your fate. 

      • Antoine King

        John couldn’t have have said it better! What really get’s me going is well many things however with this topic the b.s. MD makes everyone goes through to CCW. For many years in PA never a problem and there was know people who went out of there way to cause trouble just because we had a Concealed Permit. I was a Infantry Combat Medic for 14 years served in Iraq 05-06 our Motto ” For When I Have Your Wounded ” Wrong answer for being home MD WAKE UP!

  • KDP

    Thank God I live in Virginia.  The liberal politians will never change Marylands laws. 

  • Jeffro835

    Md needs to wake the f____ up! You can carry almost any were else with ease. They are stupid for not letting us carry, do you know how much money the state would make with the permits ,no instead they just want to raise our taxes!!

  • Frederick

    MD needs to look at the stats….in states WITH conceal carry, criminals are less likely to commit crimes against another person.  They’re essentially cowards, so why would they risk their life to rob/commit  a crime against a person in an area where it is legal to conceal/carry and that person could ultimately put them down for a dirt nap?!  Instead, MD is a state where the coward criminals PREY on the law abiding citizens KNOWING that they will obey the law and NOT carry a concealed weapon…must be nice to have that kind of job security!!

  • Bad89coupe

    oh come on, really? even if md did give a permit, no neighboring states accept it! wtf maryland, get with it already!

  • Chase

    I am a landscaper who works solely in hud or section 8 housing throughout baltimore and dc. I would like to apply but don’t want to waste my time either. Do you think it would be beneficial to try?

    • Harry_Callahan

      Here’s a dirty little secret the MDSP has that everyone needs to know, courtesy of Inspector Callahan.

      MDSP has to report CCW permit statistics to the MD General Assembly.  They are able to consistently state that they have a +/- 97% pass rate in granting permits because of the fact that nobody applies for them in the first place. 

      This is simply because of the well known fact among Md residents that they are impossible to get.  Ask any gun dealer, they tell everyone they can apply but it will never be approved.  So nobody bothers to apply. This allows Md politicians to lie and say that everything is working great, only the thugs, wife beaters and druggies are denied permits when that is the furthest from the truth. 

      If you are eligible and can afford the cost everyone who wants one should apply.  No one should be denied their rights. If some activist college co-ed has the right to force everyone to pay for her birth control costs when they aren’t even getting the action, then I damn sure have the right to carry my gun.

      Word of caution, be sure you meet the requirements because if you forgot about that old domestic battery conviction you got before you got divorced you could be screwed.

      • Harry_Callahan

         one thing, before anyone goes haywire.  I’m NOT implying that Gun Dealers are working in partnership with MDGOV.  They are simply telling the truth, but by doing that, the statistics do not change and neither does our situation.  Flood them with applications.

        • Feed USA kids 1st

          Why should I,  the tax paying Md born American Have to pay any amout of money for an application to apply for the ” Right to bear arms ” , when the right is already mine? I have been carrying a 40 cal ruger since 1996 and will continue to carry my piece to ensure the peace in and around my home and business, protect my family, and my property! If I am EVER arrested for this….which is not a crime…… I will sue to the highest possible level …you should as well and lets see if we can overcome this ridiculious democratic communist motion…ROMNEY 2012 !!!

  • Tcapurro

    I have a valid CCW for the state of Nevada. Does having an current CCW in another state make applying for a Maryland CCW easier?

    • Natebruno1

      Nothing makes it easy to get a CCW permit in Md. I have Utah, Az, and Fl. and can carry in 42 states, but cannot carry in the state in which I live and pay taxes.

  • No1uKnow

    Laws might be changing here REAL soon folks!!

  • farmhood

    Victory
    For The Constitution in Maryland

    We just received word that the United States District Court for the District of
    Maryland has granted a motion for summary judgement for plaintiff Ray Woollard
    in the Woollard v. Sheridan case that challenged the good and substantial
    requirement for issuance of a permit to carry a handgun.

    You’ll recall that this is the federal court case that Maryland Shall Issue
    helped to fund through a $10,000.00 donation to the Second Amendement
    Foundation who spearheaded this effort.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we
    won!

    This is all breaking news and there is far too much analysis to be done to
    comment any further today, but we wanted to make sure that MSI’s members were
    aware of this exciting news.

     Here are some important excerpts from the opinion:

    “Because the ―good and
    substantial reason requirement is not reasonably adapted to a substantial
    government interest, the Court finds this portion of the Maryland law to be
    unconstitutional. Woollard is entitled to summary judgment. ”  
       

    “A law that burdens the
    exercise of an enumerated constitutional right by simply making that right more
    difficult to exercise cannot be considered ―reasonably adapted‖ to a government interest, no matter how substantial
    that interest may be. Maryland‘s goal of ―minimizing the proliferation of
    handguns among those who do not have a demonstrated need for them,‖ id. at 40, is not a permissible method of preventing
    crime or ensuring public safety; it burdens the right too broadly. ”

    “At bottom, this case
    rests on a simple proposition: If the Government wishes to burden a right
    guaranteed by the Constitution, it may do so provided that it can show a
    satisfactory justification and a sufficiently adapted method. The showing,
    however, is always the Government‘s to make. A citizen may not be required to offer a good and substantial reason why he
    should be permitted to exercise his rights. The right‘s existence is all the
    reason he needs.”    

    • Redwing Two

      Current law says it is ok to have a handgun on your property/house.  If you are out on your property of 400 acres it is ok to carry your handgun.  My way of thinking is that while in my car/truck I should be able to carry my pistol because, I have title to my car/truck thereby proving that it is my property and I’m within my property, therefore should be permitted to carry my pistol.  Just a play on words such as our Politician’s do. Any thoughts on this????

  • Charles White

    I went to this site for a Concealed Weapon Carry Permit Application and find it impossible to locate the form.

  • John

    I hope I really Hope waiting here in Frederick, md already have my VA CCW

  • C Phelpsjr

    We can only hope

  • Hiker dude

    Are disassembled handgun parts (frame, slide, barrel, springs) considered to be a “Handgun” by MD law?
    I’m planning a trip thru MD but will be stopping there overnight. From what I’ve read, it is a violation of MD law to transport a handgun unless subject to the a small list of exceptions. 

    Can anyone point me to information on transporting “handgun parts / disassembled and or non-functional handgun” thru MD? Thanks!!