Can You Open Carry in Maryland? Permits, Limits, and Penalties

Open carry in Maryland is illegal for handguns unless you hold a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit, and even with a permit, a 2023 law bars firearms from a long list of public places. Long guns like rifles and shotguns can generally be carried without a permit, but they cannot be loaded in a vehicle and certain models are banned outright. Penalties for carrying a handgun without authority start at 30 days in jail for a first offense and climb quickly from there.

Handguns Require a Permit

Maryland law prohibits wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun on your person or in a vehicle, openly or concealed, unless you fall within a specific exception.¹ The main exception for civilians is a Wear and Carry Permit issued by the Maryland State Police. Law enforcement, active-duty military, and correctional officers are also exempt while on duty.

Without a permit, you can still move a handgun in a few narrow situations: between your own residences, to and from a legitimate repair shop, between your home and a business you own, or to and from a hunting trip, target range, or firearms safety class. In every one of these cases, the handgun must be unloaded and enclosed in a case or holster.¹ A loaded handgun in a glove box does not qualify, and neither does an unenclosed one on the passenger seat.

Long Guns and Vehicle Rules

Rifles and shotguns are not covered by the handgun permit requirement. Maryland does not specifically regulate open carry of long guns, so no permit is needed to carry one in most settings.²

Vehicles are the sharp exception. You cannot have a loaded shotgun or a rifle with ammunition in the magazine or chamber inside a vehicle. The rule comes from Maryland’s wildlife code but applies whether or not you are hunting.³ If a loaded long gun is found in a vehicle with several occupants and no one is identifiable as the violator, the law presumes the owner of the vehicle is responsible. When transporting a long gun, the safe approach is unloaded, separated from ammunition, and cased away from the passenger area.

Maryland also bans a specific list of assault weapons by name and “copycat weapons” that share defined features with the listed models. Carrying or transporting a banned configuration can result in criminal charges regardless of how it is stored.⁴

Getting a Wear and Carry Permit

The Maryland State Police issue Wear and Carry Permits through an online licensing portal. The fee is $125 for an initial application and $75 for a renewal, with fingerprinting costs separate.⁵ To qualify, you must meet each of the following requirements:

Be at least 21, or an active member of the armed forces or National Guard.
Have no felony conviction, no misdemeanor carrying a sentence over one year, and no controlled substance convictions.
Have no involuntary admission to a mental health facility for more than 30 consecutive days, and no history of violent behavior tied to a mental health condition.
Not be subject to any active protective order, extreme risk order, or other court order prohibiting firearm possession.
Complete a 16-hour firearms safety course from a qualified instructor within two years before applying. Renewals require an 8-hour course.

These standards come from Maryland’s Public Safety Article, which also requires the State Police to conduct a background investigation before issuing a permit.⁶ Before you apply, complete LiveScan fingerprinting, obtain a signed qualification score sheet from your training course, and have a passport-style photo ready to upload with the online application.⁵

Maryland previously required applicants to show a “good and substantial reason” to carry, but that requirement is no longer enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen. In response to increased permit issuance, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1, effective October 1, 2023, which added extensive location-based restrictions on where a permit holder can actually carry.

Where You Still Cannot Carry With a Permit

SB1 created a long list of locations that are off-limits to firearms even for permit holders. The restrictions apply to all firearms, not only handguns, so plan any trip carefully before carrying.⁷

Government and Public Infrastructure

No firearms in buildings owned or leased by state or local government, buildings belonging to public or private colleges and universities, locations being used as polling places or for ballot canvassing, and utility infrastructure including electric plants, gas plants, and nuclear facilities. Government buildings must post signage at the main entrance.

Schools, Youth, and Healthcare

Firearms are prohibited at preschools and prekindergarten facilities, private elementary and secondary schools, youth camps, healthcare facilities, and shelters for runaway youth. Public school property is covered by the handgun statute itself, which imposes a 90-day mandatory minimum jail sentence for a first violation.¹

Bars, Entertainment, and Public Gatherings

Bars, restaurants, and dispensaries licensed for on-site alcohol or cannabis consumption are off-limits. So are stadiums, museums, racetracks, casinos, amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, live theater performances, and ticketed concerts. Firearms are also prohibited within 100 yards of any public gathering, demonstration, or event that required a permit.

Private Property Is Opt-In

Maryland uses an opt-in rule for firearms on private property. You cannot carry a firearm onto someone else’s property unless the owner has given express permission or posted a sign allowing it. For a private dwelling, the owner or the owner’s agent must give unambiguous verbal or written permission. For other private property, either a clearly visible sign permitting firearms or direct permission from the owner is required.⁷

The default runs against carry. If you walk into a private business and see no sign, or visit a home without an explicit invitation to bring a firearm, carrying there violates the law.

Penalties for Carrying a Handgun Illegally

Illegal handgun carry is a misdemeanor under Maryland law, but the penalty structure escalates quickly with prior convictions and aggravating locations.

First offense: 30 days to 5 years in prison, a fine of $250 to $2,500, or both.
First offense on school property: 90-day minimum in prison.
Second offense: 1 to 10 years, with a mandatory minimum of 1 year the court cannot reduce.
Second offense on school property: 3 to 10 years, mandatory minimum.
Third or subsequent offense: 3 to 10 years, mandatory minimum of 3 years.

When the violation involves a loaded handgun, the mandatory minimums cannot be suspended and the person is not eligible for parole during the mandatory portion of the sentence.¹ The statute also creates a rebuttable presumption that if a handgun is found in your vehicle, you knew it was there.

Out-of-State Permits and Passing Through

Maryland does not recognize concealed carry permits from any other state. A permit from Virginia, Pennsylvania, or anywhere else has no legal effect here. To carry a handgun legally in Maryland, you need a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit.

Federal law offers a narrow safe harbor for travel through the state. Under 18 U.S.C. § 926A, you can transport a firearm through Maryland if it is legal at both your origin and destination, is unloaded, and is stored where it is not readily accessible from the passenger compartment. If the vehicle has no separate trunk, the firearm and ammunition must be in a locked container that is not the glove compartment or center console.⁸ The protection covers transport, not extended stops. Once you spend the night or run errands, Maryland law applies in full.

Firearms are also barred in all federal facilities where federal employees regularly work, and in federal courthouses. No state permit overrides that.⁹

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 4-203 – Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting a Handgun
2
Everytown Research & Policy. Gun Laws in Maryland
3
Justia Law. Maryland Natural Resources Code 10-410
4
Maryland Department of State Police. Regulated Firearms – Public Safety Title 5 Subtitle 1
5
Maryland Department of State Police. Wear and Carry Permit
6
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code, Public Safety 5-306
7
Maryland General Assembly. Senate Bill 1 Chapter 680 – Firearms Safety Act of 2023
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities