Who Cannot Carry
Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 5-133 — the persons who may not possess a regulated firearm
- A person convicted of a disqualifying crime, or of a common law crime with a term of imprisonment of more than 2 years.
- A person on supervised probation after a conviction for a crime punishable by imprisonment for 1 year or more, for certain impaired driving violations, or for violating a protective order.
- A fugitive from justice, a habitual drunkard, or a person addicted to or a habitual user of a controlled dangerous substance.
- A person with a mental disorder and a history of violent behavior; a person found incompetent to stand trial or not criminally responsible; a person voluntarily admitted to a facility for more than 30 consecutive days, or involuntarily committed to one.
- A person under a court appointed guardianship, other than one based solely on a physical disability.
- A respondent under a current non ex parte civil protective order, or an order for protection from another state or a tribe that is in effect.
- A person under the age of 30 at the time of possession who was adjudicated delinquent for an act that would be a disqualifying crime if committed by an adult.
Those are among the persons the section names.
A crime of violence. A person previously convicted of a crime of violence, or of certain drug offenses the section lists, may not possess a regulated firearm. A violation is a felony with imprisonment for not less than 5 years and not exceeding 15 years, and the court may not suspend any part of the mandatory minimum of 5 years.
After 5 years. If more than 5 years have passed since the person completed the sentence for the most recent such conviction, the mandatory minimum is within the court's discretion, and may be imposed only if the State's Attorney gives written notice at least 30 days before trial.
Under 21. A person under the age of 21 years may not possess a regulated firearm, with exceptions for supervised possession with a parent's permission, military duty, marksmanship training, required employment, inheritance of title, and defense against a trespasser in a residence.
What counts as a regulated firearm and as a disqualifying crime is defined elsewhere in the title. Federal law keeps its own list of prohibited persons, which applies alongside the state's and is not on this page. Whether a particular conviction, order or commitment brings a person within the section, and whether rights can be restored, are questions for a licensed Maryland attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 5-133 — Restrictions on possession of regulated firearms
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.