Maryland CCW

For those that aren't local I thought I'd give the lowdown on my State's conceal carry rules.

This is my understanding.

First, we are a May Issue State. Which means they usually say no, you may not. All applications go through the Maryland State Police. And they only will consider it if you own a business that deals with a lot of cash, are an embassy guard that works downtown and occasionally forays into Maryland, or are a retired police officer or some other type of quasi Law Enforcement Officer, like a Private Detective. Those get rubber stamped pretty quick, generally. There are exceptions. Like DC police that live in Maryland have had trouble getting a conceal carry permit, while they carry concealed in DC as part of their job. If you are just some regular Joe you have to have documented recent threats against you. Threats, not a threat. There has to be police reports attesting to that. And once that threat is gone, they won't renew your CCW permit. This threat method is how Pro Gun Progressive got his permit, and it took him MONTHS to get it, despite near weekly incidents with gang members in his Baltimore neighborhood. And it expires 2 years from his application date. He's friendly with his local cops and they were a big help, but apart from moral support they can do little besides document the threats in reports.

But once you have the permit there are very few restrictions. You can carry in the courthouse, in a bar, and in church. Not bad, huh? Better than Virginia's rules. But if you don't give out any permits there is no reason to restrict where.

Maryland also has pretty strict transport rules. You have to have the firearm unloaded and locked away in your vehicle, separated from the ammo. The occupants can't have easy access to the firearm. Which is difficult if your vehicle is a Jeep and you can reach anywhere a gun case could be from the driver seat, and you have no trunk. There is arguments over whether you are permitted to have your ammo in magazines (the rules are cloudy and can be interpreted both ways.) They don't mention speedloaders or clips in the law, so load up the Garand clips, but not the M1A magazines. And you have to be going someplace legitimate with a firearm in the car or returning from there. Someplace legitimate is like going to the range, going hunting, taking the gun to your gunsmith, or even to a picnic where you will be plinking, and I've heard no horror stories about someone stopping at a store along the route to the range getting into trouble, but I won't push it.

Every year a law is introduced at the Maryland Legislature to change the words May Issue to Shall Issue, but the committee that oversees gun laws has a chairman that won't release it for a vote. There has been progress in the past few years, changing attitudes, but it is slow going. The Eastern and Western parts of the state are rural and more gun friendly, but the suburban-urban corridor from Baltimore to the DC line your typical anti-gun enclave.