To buy a gun in Maryland, you must be old enough for the type of firearm you want, clear both federal and state background checks, and — if you’re buying a handgun or one of the assault weapons the state regulates — hold a Handgun Qualification License before you even walk into the dealer. The age floor is 21 for a handgun or assault weapon and 18 for an ordinary rifle or shotgun. Maryland treats “regulated firearms” (handguns and specific assault weapons) very differently from standard long guns, so the process depends heavily on what you’re buying.
Who Can Legally Buy
Federal law blocks several categories of people from possessing any firearm: anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison, anyone with a domestic-violence misdemeanor conviction, fugitives, unlawful drug users, people dishonorably discharged from the military, and people involuntarily committed to a mental institution or found mentally incompetent by a court.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Maryland stacks its own disqualifiers on top. Under Public Safety § 5-133, you cannot possess a regulated firearm if you have a disqualifying criminal conviction (including crimes of violence and certain common-law offenses), are on supervised probation for a serious offense, are a fugitive, have a history of habitual drunkenness or controlled-substance addiction, have certain mental-health history (involuntary commitment of any length, voluntary admission over 30 consecutive days, a mental disorder with a history of violent behavior, or a court finding of incompetence), are subject to a protective order, are under court-appointed guardianship for reasons other than physical disability, or are under 30 and were adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile for an act that would be a disqualifying crime for an adult.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-133 A parallel set of prohibitions in § 5-205 covers rifles and shotguns. If any of these describe you, assume you cannot legally buy a firearm in the state without first pursuing the relief process under § 5-133.3.
The Handgun Qualification License
You need a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) before you can buy, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland. It’s issued by the Maryland State Police, and a dealer cannot process your handgun purchase without one.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-117.1 – Handgun Qualification License
Training and Fees
Getting an HQL starts with an approved firearms safety training course covering Maryland gun law, home firearm safety, and handgun mechanics. The course includes a live-fire component where you have to show you can safely handle and fire a handgun.4Maryland Department of State Police. Firearms Safety Training Course After the course, you submit your application through the Maryland State Police Licensing Portal along with fingerprints for a background investigation. The state application fee is $50 for a new license and $20 for a renewal. Fingerprinting is billed separately and varies by provider.5Maryland Department of State Police. Fee Schedule – Licensing Division
When You Can Skip the Training
You don’t have to take the course if you already lawfully own a regulated firearm, are an honorably discharged member of the armed forces or National Guard, are a qualified handgun instructor, have completed another certified firearms training course approved by the Secretary of State Police, or have completed the hunter-safety course required by the Department of Natural Resources. Active and retired law enforcement officers are also exempt.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-117.1 – Handgun Qualification License The exemption only waives the training; you still apply and still go through the background check.
Buying a Handgun or Regulated Firearm
In Maryland, a “regulated firearm” is a handgun or one of the assault weapons named in Public Safety § 5-101. Everything in this section applies to both.
The Purchase Process
At a licensed dealer, you’ll fill out ATF Form 4473, the federal transaction record covering your identity and eligibility.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Firearms Transaction Record – ATF Form 4473 You’ll also complete the Maryland State Police Application and Affidavit to Purchase a Regulated Firearm (form MSP 77R) through the Licensing Portal, using your HQL number if you’re buying a handgun.7Maryland Department of State Police. Regulated Firearm Purchases
Two background checks run at the same time. The dealer sends a federal check through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.8Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS) The Maryland State Police Licensing Division runs its own criminal-history investigation using the MSP 77R.
The Seven-Day Wait
Once the MSP 77R is submitted, a mandatory seven-day waiting period starts. You can’t take the firearm home during that week. On the morning of the eighth day, the Licensing Division emails you a decision. If you’re approved, the dealer has 90 days after approval to complete the transfer before the application expires.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-123 – Time for Licensee to Complete Transactions
One Every 30 Days
Maryland caps you at one regulated firearm every 30 days. You can submit multiple applications during that window, but you can’t take possession of a second regulated firearm until 30 days have passed since you got the first.7Maryland Department of State Police. Regulated Firearm Purchases A designated-collector exception exists for people who collect specific types of firearms or hold a federal Curio and Relics license, but they have to apply to the Secretary of State Police for permission.10Cornell Law School. COMAR 29.03.01.25 – Multiple Purchases – Collectors
Buying a Rifle or Shotgun
If you’re buying a standard rifle or shotgun that isn’t on Maryland’s assault-weapons list, the path is much shorter. No HQL. No seven-day wait. No one-per-month rule. You need to be at least 18 and pass a federal NICS check that the dealer runs at the counter.
Since 2023, all private firearm transfers in Maryland have to go through a licensed dealer, and that includes long guns. Two individuals selling a rifle between themselves still have to route the sale through a dealer who runs the NICS check.
Private Sales and Gifts
Every private transfer of a regulated firearm goes through the same MSP 77R application, background investigation, and seven-day wait as a dealer purchase. The buyer completes the application on the Licensing Portal, and the seller or a Maryland State Police barracks submits it. The approval or denial arrives on the eighth day.7Maryland Department of State Police. Regulated Firearm Purchases
Fees turn on the relationship. Gifts to immediate family (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents) carry no processing fee. Gifts to anyone else are treated as secondary sales with a $10 fee, and other private sales processed at a State Police barracks pay the same $10.7Maryland Department of State Police. Regulated Firearm Purchases
Private transfers of non-assault-weapon rifles and shotguns still go through a licensed dealer for a NICS check, but no MSP 77R is required and there’s no seven-day wait.
Moving to Maryland With Guns You Already Own
New residents who bring firearms into the state must register every regulated firearm with the Secretary of State Police within 90 days of establishing residency.11Maryland Department of State Police. New Resident Registration This is registration, not a new purchase, but people who skip it often find out later, when the system flags them as they try to buy a second regulated firearm.
What You Can’t Buy at All
Maryland bans specific assault weapons by name, plus copies and duplicates. The list in Public Safety § 5-101 covers dozens of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns by model. Bringing one into the state, possessing one, buying one, or selling one is a criminal offense under Criminal Law § 4-303.12Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 4-303 – Assault Weapons – Prohibited
Detachable magazines that hold more than 10 rounds are also off-limits. You can’t manufacture, buy, sell, or transfer one. Narrow exceptions apply to .22-caliber rifles with tubular magazines and to law enforcement officers in good standing.13Cornell Law School. COMAR 29.03.01.07 – Magazine Capacity Holding an HQL and passing every background check doesn’t change this; the items themselves are banned.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
Lying on a firearm application is a misdemeanor carrying up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.14Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-139 – False Information or Misstatement in Application
A straw purchase, meaning buying a regulated firearm on behalf of someone who is underage or otherwise prohibited, is much more serious. Each straw purchase is a separate misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.15Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-141
Possessing a regulated firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence or certain other serious offenses is a felony. The mandatory minimum is five years in prison with a maximum of 15, and the court cannot suspend any part of the minimum. The person is also ineligible for parole during those five years.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Public Safety 5-133