2022
Chapters 18 and 19 of 2022, Public Safety – Untraceable Firearms: Chapter 18 and 19 of 2022
(Senate Bill 387), a part of the Senate’s community safety plan, prohibited a person from
purchasing, receiving, selling, offering to sell, or transferring an unfinished frame or receiver
unless it has been imprinted with a serial number by a federally licensed firearms manufacturer or
federally licensed firearms importer. A person may not sell, offer to sell, or transfer a firearm
unless it is imprinted with a specified serial number.

Chapter 55 of 2022, Public Safety – Licensed Firearms Dealers – Security Requirements:
Chapter 55 (House Bill 1021) prohibited a firearms dealer from conducting business and storing
firearms at a location unless (1) the premises on which the licensed dealer operates is equipped
with specified security features or (2) outside business hours, the licensed dealer locks all firearms
stored on the premises in a vault, a safe, or a room or building that meets specified requirements.

Chapter 142 of 2022, Crimes - Firearms and Inmates - Enforcement, Procedures, and
Reporting: Chapter 142 (Senate Bill 861), a part of the Senate’s community safety plan,
established the Maryland State Police Gun Center within the Department of State Police (DSP) as
a statewide firearms enforcement center for the tracking, screening, and vetting of all firearm
crimes committed in the State.

2021
Chapters 11 and 35 of 2021, Public Safety – Rifles and Shotguns – Sales, Rentals, and
Transfers: Chapter 11 and 35(Senate Bill 208) required that before the sale, rental, or transfer of
a rifle or shotgun is conducted, the seller, lessor, or transferor and purchaser, lessee, or transferee
both request that a licensed firearms dealer facilitate the sale, rental, or transfer. A dealer who
agrees to facilitate the sale, rental, or transfer must (1) process the transaction as though
transferring the rifle or shotgun from the dealer’s own inventory to the purchaser, lessee, or
transferee; (2) conduct a background check on the purchaser, lessee, or transferee through the
Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and (3)
comply with all federal and State law that would apply to the sale, rental, or transfer, including all
inventory and recordkeeping requirements.

2019
Chapter 458 of 2019, Public Safety – Regulated Firearms – Prohibition of Loans: Chapter 458
(Senate Bill 346) expanded prohibitions against a firearms dealer selling to a purchaser if the dealer
knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the purchaser is not able to possess a regulated
firearm, to include a loan of a regulated firearm to a borrower. Additionally, a dealer may not sell
or transfer if they know or has reasonable cause to believe that the purchaser, lessee, transferee, or
recipient intends to use the regulated firearm to commit a crime or cause harm to his/herself or
another person.

2018
Chapter 143 of 2018, Criminal Law – Crimes of Violence, Expungement, and Drug
Treatment: Chapter 143 (Senate Bill 101) altered the definition of “crime of violence” by (1)
changing “use of a handgun in the commission of a felony or other crime of violence” to “use of a
firearm in the commission of a felony except possession with intent to distribute a CDS1 or other
crime of violence” and (2) striking the requirement regarding sexual abuse of a minor that a
touching not be through the clothing. Additionally, a person who has previously been convicted
of a crime of violence or specific felony drug offenses is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Chapter 145 of 2018, Criminal Law – Prohibitions, Prosecutions, and Corrections: Chapter
145 (Chapter 1137) added the following offenses to the list of crimes for which evidence may be
gathered during a criminal investigation through the interception of oral, wire, or electronic
communications: restrictions on sale, rental, or transfer of regulated firearms; straw purchases;
sale, transfer, or disposal of stolen regulated firearms; transporting regulated firearm for unlawful
sale or trafficking; and knowing participation in straw purchase.

Chapter 146 of 2018, Criminal Law – Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting Loaded Handgun
– Subsequent Offender: Chapter 146 (House Bill 1029) prohibited a person from violating the
State’s prohibition on wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun with a handgun loaded with
ammunition.

Chapter 250 of 2018, Public Safety – Extreme Risk Protective Orders: Chapter 250 (House
Bill 1302) established an “extreme risk protective order” and set forth a process by which certain
mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, and family or household members of a
respondent may seek an interim, temporary, or final court order to prevent a respondent from
possessing or purchasing a firearm or ammunition for a limited period of time, based on a
determination that the respondent poses a danger of causing self-injury or injury to others by
possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Chapter 251 of 2018, Criminal Procedure - Firearms – Transfer: Chapter 251 (House Bill
1646) required the State’s Attorney to provide written notice to the defendant when a defendant
has been charged with a disqualifying crime that is a domestically related crime, that (1) the
defendant has been charged with a disqualifying crime and (2) it is illegal for a person who has
been convicted of a disqualifying crime to possess or own a regulated firearm, rifle, or shotgun.
When a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to such a crime, the court must (1) inform the
defendant that the person is prohibited from possessing a regulated firearm, rifle, or shotgun and
(2) order the defendant to transfer all regulated firearms, rifles, and shotguns owned by the
defendant or in his/her possession.

Chapter 252 of 2018, Criminal Law – Firearm Crimes – Rapid Fire Trigger Activator:
Chapter 252 (Senate Bill 707) prohibited a person from (1) transporting a “rapid fire trigger
activator” into the State or (2) manufacturing, possessing, selling, offering to sell, transferring,
purchasing, or receiving a rapid fire trigger activator. In addition, the Act prohibited a person from
using a rapid fire trigger activator in the commission of a felony or a crime of violence. Violators
are subject to the existing more stringent penalties that apply to the use of an assault weapon or a
magazine with a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition in the commission of a felony or
crime of violence.

2017
Chapters 804 and 805 of 2017, Public Safety – Regulated Firearms – Definition of Convicted
of a Disqualifying Crime: Chapter 804 (Senate Bill 224) prohibited a person from possessing a
regulated firearm, a rifle, or a shotgun if the person has been convicted of a disqualifying crime.
In addition, the Acts altered the definition of convicted of a disqualifying crime to include a case
in which a person received a probation before judgement for assault in the second degree if the
crime was a domestically related crime.

2015
Chapter 293 of 2015, Public Safety – Transport of Weapons on School Property – Retired
Law Enforcement Officers: Chapter 293 (House Bill 1032) added retired law enforcement
officers in good standing to an exemption applicable to a prohibition against carrying or possessing
a deadly weapon on public school property.

2013
Chapter 427 of 2013, Firearms Safety Act of 2013: Chapter 427 (Senate Bill 281) modified and
expanded the regulation of firearms, firearms dealers, and ammunition in the State and made
changes to related mental health restrictions on the possession of firearms. Among its numerous
provisions, the Act:

• bans the sale of specified and previously regulated “assault long guns” as well as “copycat
weapons”.
• reduced the allowable detachable magazine capacity that may be manufactured, sold, purchased,
received, or transferred in the State from 20 to 10 rounds of ammunition;
• prohibits the use or possession of “cop killer bullets” during and in relation to the commission of
a crime of violence;
• requires successful completion of a firearms training course to obtain a handgun carry permit;
and
• prohibits a person from possessing a regulated firearm, rifle, or shotgun if the person suffers from
a mental disorder and has a history of violent behavior against the person or another.