# Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-306: –306 > Maryland · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-306 ## Section - **Citation:** Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-306 - **Heading:** –306 - **Jurisdiction:** Maryland - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** MD Code / Article gps / Title 5 / Subtitle 3 / Section 5-306 ## Text (a) Subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the Secretary shall issue a permit within a reasonable time to a person who the Secretary finds: (1) (i) is at least 21 years old; or (ii) is a person who is a member of the uniformed services or the National Guard; (2) (i) has not been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor for which a sentence of imprisonment for more than 1 year has been imposed; or (ii) if convicted of a crime described in item (i) of this item, has been pardoned or has been granted relief under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c); (3) has not been convicted of a crime involving the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance; (4) is not on supervised probation for: (i) conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for 1 year or more; (ii) a violation of § 21–902(b) or (c) of the Transportation Article; or (iii) violating a protective order under § 4–509 of the Family Law Article; (5) is not presently an alcoholic, addict, or habitual user of a controlled dangerous substance unless the habitual use of the controlled dangerous substance is under legitimate medical direction; (6) does not suffer from a mental disorder as defined in § 10–101(i)(2) of the Health – General Article and have a history of violent behavior against the person or another; (7) has not been involuntarily admitted for more than 30 consecutive days to a facility as defined in § 10–101 of the Health – General Article; (8) is not a respondent against whom: (i) a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article; (ii) a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under § 5–601 of this title; or (iii) any other type of current court order has been entered prohibiting the person from purchasing or possessing firearms; (9) except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, has successfully completed prior to application and each renewal, a firearms training course approved by the Secretary that meets the minimum criteria specified in subsection (a–1) of this section; and (10) based on an investigation: (i) has not exhibited a propensity for violence or instability that may reasonably render the person’s possession of a handgun a danger to the person or to another; and (ii) is not otherwise prohibited by State or federal law from purchasing or possessing a handgun. (a–1) The firearms training course required under subsection (a) of this section shall include: (1) (i) for an initial application, a minimum of 16 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; or (ii) for a renewal application, 8 hours of in–person instruction by a qualified handgun instructor; (2) classroom instruction on: (i) State and federal firearm laws, including laws relating to: 1. self–defense; 2. defense of others; 3. defense of property; 4. the safe storage of firearms; 5. the circumstances under which an individual becomes prohibited from possessing a firearm under State and federal law, including becoming a respondent against whom: A. a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4–506 of the Family Law Article; B. an order for protection, as defined in § 4–508.1 of the Family Law Article, has been issued by a court of another state or a Native American tribe and is in effect; or C. a current extreme risk protective order has been entered under Subtitle 6 of this title; 6. the requirements and options for surrendering, transferring, or otherwise disposing of a firearm after becoming prohibited from possessing a firearm under State or federal law; 7. the requirements for reporting a loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement agency as required by § 5–146 of this title; 8. the firearms and firearm accessories which are banned under State and federal law; 9. the types of firearms that require a special permit or registration to acquire or possess under State or federal law; hibited from possessing a firearm under State or federal law; 7. the requirements for reporting a loss or theft of a firearm to a law enforcement agency as required by § 5–146 of this title; 8. the firearms and firearm accessories which are banned under State and federal law; 9. the types of firearms that require a special permit or registration to acquire or possess under State or federal law; 10. the law prohibiting straw purchases; 11. the law concerning armed trespass under § 6–411 of the Criminal Law Article; and 12. the locations where a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm regardless of whether the person possesses a permit issued under this subtitle; (ii) home firearm safety; (iii) handgun mechanisms and operations; (iv) conflict de–escalation and resolution; (v) anger management; and (vi) suicide prevention; and (3) a firearm qualification component that includes live–fire shooting exercise on a firing range and requires the applicant to demonstrate: (i) safe handling of a handgun; and (ii) shooting proficiency with a handgun. (a–2) The Secretary, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health, shall develop, publish, update, and distribute to all State–certified firearms instructors a curriculum of instruction for the topics required for classroom instruction in subsection (a–1) of this section. (b) An applicant for a permit is not required to complete a certified firearms training course under subsection (a) of this section if the applicant: (1) is a law enforcement officer or a person who is retired in good standing from service with a law enforcement agency of the United States, the State, or any local law enforcement agency in the State; (2) is a member, retired member, or honorably discharged member of the armed forces or the National Guard; (3) is a qualified handgun instructor; or (4) has completed a firearms training course approved by the Secretary. (c) An applicant under the age of 30 years is qualified only if the Secretary finds that the applicant has not been: (1) committed to a detention, training, or correctional institution for juveniles for longer than 1 year after an adjudication of delinquency by a juvenile court; or (2) adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court for: (i) an act that would be a crime of violence if committed by an adult; (ii) an act that would be a felony in this State if committed by an adult; or (iii) an act that would be a misdemeanor in this State that carries a statutory penalty of more than 2 years if committed by an adult. (d) (1) The Secretary may not issue a permit to a person if the person: (i) has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a second or subsequent violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article; or (ii) has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article if the violation resulted in the use of a loaded firearm by a minor causing death or serious bodily injury to the minor or another person. (2) Subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Secretary may not issue a permit to a person who has been convicted on or after October 1, 2023, of a violation of § 4–104 of the Criminal Law Article for 5 years following the date of the conviction. (e) The Secretary may issue a handgun qualification license, without an additional application or fee, to a person who: (1) meets the requirements for issuance of a permit under this section; and (2) does not have a handgun qualification license issued under § 5–117.1 of this title. ## Nearby sections - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-301 §5–301.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-301.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-303 §5–303.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-303.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-304 §5–304.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-304.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-305 §5–305.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-305.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-306 §5–306.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-306.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-307 §5–307.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-307.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-308 §5–308.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-308.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-309 §5–309.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-309.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-310 §5–310.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-310.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-311 §5–311.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-311.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-312 §5–312.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-312.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-313 §5–313.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-313.md) - [Md. Code, Public Safety § 5-314 §5–314.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-314.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MD_Agps_T5_S3_S5-306. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.