10 most recent changes in the law that affect new Maryland Concealed Carry License Holders
Disclaimer: These are information only, always verify with competent legal advice.
- Most of the SB 1 “sensitive places” bans are still in force (Fourth Circuit ruling, January 20, 2026)
In Novotny v. Moore, the federal appeals court for our region upheld most of the 2023 Gun Safety Act list of places where even permit holders cannot carry: government buildings, schools, health care facilities, public transit, state parks and forests, museums, stadiums, casinos, places that serve alcohol for drinking on site, and within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration. The gun rights groups have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, so this is not the final word.
Reference: https://www.ammoland.com/2026/01/4th-circuit-upholds-most-of-marylands-sweeping-sensitive-places-gun-ban/
Tip: You need to remember this list the places mentioned, because a permit is not a defense in these places.
- The private property default ban was struck down (courts, 2023 to 2026)
SB 1 originally said you could not carry into a private business open to the public unless the owner gave you permission first. The courts blocked that rule, and in 2026 the Supreme Court struck down a nearly identical Hawaii rule in Wolford v. Lopez, after which Maryland dropped its own appeal on this point.
Plain version: you may carry into a store or other private property open to the public unless the owner has told you no or posted a no firearms policy. The owner can still ask you to leave, and refusing turns it into a trespassing problem.
Reference: https://nysafeinc.com/2026/09/04/novotny-v-moore-ny-sensitive-places/
- New Maryland law bans the sale of Glock and similar “machine gun convertible” pistols starting January 1, 2027 (SB 334, signed May 2026)
The Stop DIY Machine Guns Act targets pistols that can accept a conversion device (a so-called Glock switch, which is/has been illegal by federal law for years). The legal definition took effect October 1, 2026, and starting January 1, 2027, dealers cannot sell or transfer the listed pistols in Maryland.
If you already own one legally, you may keep it, but you cannot sell or transfer it in Maryland, (there’s an exception for close family members who are not prohibited, but verify this).
Maryland State Police will publish the official list of covered models. A federal judge declined to block the law on September 25, 2026, and the lawsuit is moving forward on a fast track.
Reference: https://www.rifleconfigurator.com/articles/maryland-glock-ban-sb334
- The federal NFA tax dropped to $0 on January 1, 2026 (suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, AOWs)
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), the old $200 federal tax on transferring or making a suppressor, short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, or any other weapon went to zero.
Machine guns and destructive devices still carry the $200 tax. This is the change that killed the phrase “tax stamp” for most NFA purchases.
Reference: https://legalclarity.org/are-suppressors-being-removed-from-the-nfa/
- ATF stopped enforcing NFA registration for those same items (October 9, 2026)
After Congress zeroed the tax, a federal court in Texas ruled in August 2026 that the registration system built on that tax could no longer be enforced for the zero-tax items, and the Justice Department chose not to appeal. As of October 9, 2026, ATF says it will not enforce the Form 1 and Form 4 approval and registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs.
Two cautions: this is an enforcement policy that a future court or administration could reverse, and Maryland law requires Federal Registration of short-barreled rifles and shotguns, etc. still applies on top of it. (Suppressors are not currently on that list.)
Many dealers still run a voluntary Form 4 so the item sits on the federal registry.
Reference: https://www.fflguard.com/will-suppressors-be-removed-from-nfa/
- The Handgun Qualification License (HQL) survived its court challenge and is still required to buy a handgun
The full Fourth Circuit, sitting en banc in Maryland Shall Issue v. Moore, upheld the HQL law, so the rule stands: to purchase, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland you need an HQL, which means fingerprints, a background check, and a 4-hour training course, unless you qualify for an exemption.
Reference: https://www.usa-gun-shop.com/maryland-gun-laws/
Tip: If you hold a valid Maryland Wear and Carry Permit can request the HQL without repeating the training course.
- Permit terms and renewal timing (2023 law, plus one 2026 update)
Maryland permits now run 3 years instead of 2 (birthday based). Renewal takes an 8-hour training course and can be started 90 days before the permit expires, and Maryland State Police says if you file at least two weeks before expiration you may keep carrying on the old permit while the renewal is processed.
(An expired permit can be a real hassle if you are stopped by the police, I recommend against carrying on an expired permit).
The only 2026 change to permit rules, SB 331/HB 94, effective October 1, 2026, lets retired law enforcement officers hold 5-year permits. Nothing changed for regular civilian applicants this year.
Reference: https://urbancarryinfo.com/maryland-wear-and-carry-permit/
- Safe storage at home: Jaelynn Law (2023, still the newest storage rules everyone must follow)
Maryland strengthened its child access law and renamed it for Jaelynn Willey. The standard is now anyone under 18, not under 16, and it covers unloaded firearms and ammunition, not just a loaded gun.
You may not store or leave a firearm where you know, or should know, that a minor or a prohibited person can get to it. Penalties step up with repeat violations and with harm done, and a second child access conviction can cost a person the right to hold a carry permit.
Annapolis has debated even stiffer storage penalties in 2025 and 2026, this area is likely to tighten again.
Reference: https://legalclarity.org/maryland-gun-control-bill-new-rules-and-restrictions/
- Home-built “ghost guns” must be serialized in Maryland, and the federal kit rule survived the Supreme Court (2025)
Maryland law required every privately made firearm to be taken to a licensed dealer and given a serial number, with the deadline back on March 1, 2023.
Owning an unserialized home-built gun in Maryland is a crime today.
Federally, the Supreme Court upheld the ATF frame and receiver rule 7 to 2 in Bondi v. VanDerStok on March 26, 2025, so build kits and unfinished receivers are sold with serial numbers and background checks just like complete guns.
Reference: https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/LSB/PDF/LSB11325/LSB11325.2.pdf
- Maryland assault weapons ban also survived: the Supreme Court declined to hear the challenge (June 2025)
In Snope v. Brown, the Supreme Court let stand the Fourth Circuit ruling that upheld the Maryland ban on listed assault long guns, assault pistols, and copycat weapons.
The rules are unchanged: named models and copycats cannot be bought in Maryland, rifles legally owned before October 1, 2013 are grandfathered, and the separate ban on selling or transferring magazines over 10 rounds is still in place (possession of magazines you already own is not banned).
Anyone moving into Maryland should check any rifle they bring against the Maryland State Police list before they bring it.
Reference: http://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/06/legal-report/
Remember: Maryland and DC do not honor any other state’s carry permit, and a Maryland permit is only good where another state chooses to honor it, so if you drive into DC or Virginia you need to plan for those jurisdictions.
Disclaimer: All information contained on this site is NOT LEGAL ADVICE, always verify information with competent legal advice. We recommend US Law Shield.
