This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.
MarylandConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity
Maryland is a may-issue-in-practice state. After the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision Maryland eliminated its "good and substantial reason" standard and now issues a Handgun Wear and Carry Permit on an objective basis, but obtaining one is still a high-friction process: applicants must be 21 (or an active member of the armed forces/National Guard), first hold a Handgun Qualification License, complete a Maryland State Police–approved 16-hour firearms training course, submit Livescan fingerprints, pay a $125 fee, and wait up to 90 days for a decision. The permit is issued by the Maryland State Police, is valid for two years initially (three years on renewal), and authorizes wearing or carrying a handgun openly or concealed. Maryland is not a permitless-carry state, and it recognizes no out-of-state permits — anyone carrying in Maryland, resident or not, must hold a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit. Maryland's 2023 "sensitive places" law (SB 1) bars carry in a broad set of locations.
Maryland Maryland Handgun Wear and Carry Permit (HWCP)
- Issuing authority
- Maryland State Police, Licensing Division
- Carry regime
- may issue in practice
- Minimum age
- 21
- Fee
- $125
- Training
- Required (16 hrs)
- Validity
- 2 years
Carry practicalities
Permitless carry
Not allowed
Maryland is NOT a permitless-carry state. A person may not wear, carry, or transport a handgun on or about the person (or in a vehicle) without a Maryland Handgun Wear and Carry Permit (Md. Code, Criminal Law §4-203). There is no constitutional/permitless carry in Maryland.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Open carry
Permit required
Open carry requires a Handgun Wear and Carry Permit — the same permit that authorizes concealed carry (Md. Code, Criminal Law §4-203). Maryland has no license-free open carry; without a permit, wearing or carrying a handgun openly is unlawful.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Duty to inform
Not required
Maryland imposes no statutory duty to proactively notify a law enforcement officer that you are carrying. A permit holder must carry the Wear and Carry Permit while carrying a handgun and display it on the demand of a law enforcement officer, but there is no affirmative notification requirement.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Off-limits locations
- preschool/prekindergarten, primary, and secondary schools
- public and private institutions of higher education
- state and local government buildings
- health care facilities
- locations licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption
- stadiums, museums, amusement parks, racetracks, and video lottery/gaming facilities
- polling places and ballot-canvassing locations
- electric, gas, and nuclear power plants and related storage facilities
- private property, unless the owner or lessee has consented to carry
- places where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law
Curated key categories, not exhaustive. Maryland's "sensitive places" restrictions are in Md. Code, Criminal Law §4-111 (SB 1 of 2023), including a default no-carry rule for private property absent the owner's consent. Parts of this law have been the subject of litigation (Kipke/Novotny v. Moore); it is authored to the currently effective 2026 law — re-verify before relying on any specific location category.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Maryland reciprocity summary
Maryland honors 0 states' permits · honored by 26 states
Where a Maryland permit is honored →Whose permits Maryland honors →
Last verified 2026-07-10 against Maryland State Police — Handgun Wear and Carry Permit.
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Get notified when your state's reciprocity changes.
Maryland FAQ
- Does Maryland have constitutional carry?
- No. Maryland is may-issue in practice — a Maryland Handgun Wear and Carry Permit (HWCP) is required, and issuance involves discretion, delays, or added requirements beyond the base statutory criteria.
- How much does a Maryland HWCP cost?
- The HWCP application fee in Maryland is $125. Initial application $125; renewal $75; replacement $20 (Maryland State Police). Excludes the separate Handgun Qualification License and fingerprint/CJIS-FBI processing costs.
- Does Maryland honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
- Maryland does not currently honor any other state's concealed-carry permit — a Maryland HWCP (or permitless carry, if eligible) is required to carry in Maryland.
- Where is a Maryland HWCP honored?
- A Maryland HWCP is honored by 26 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
- How long is a Maryland HWCP valid?
- A Maryland HWCP is valid for 2 years before renewal is required.