On Thursday, March 11, the House and Senate Judiciary Committees will hold hearings on Senate Bill 645 and House Bill 820, which would require Marylanders to apply for and obtain a “Handgun Permit to Purchase” before obtaining a handgun in Maryland.  This legislation, if passed, would make an already cumbersome process even more complicated and subject to abuse by anti-gun bureaucrats who already think there are too many gun owners in Maryland.

Currently, Marylanders who want to purchase a handgun must demonstrate that they have completed a firearm safety course, complete a Maryland State Police application and pay a $10 fee, undergo a background check and wait a minimum of 7 business days before the handgun may be transferred. Of course, in reality, the “7 day waiting period” is often far longer (sometimes several weeks).

Now anti-gun lawmakers, led by Senator Brian Frosh and Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, want to require anyone who wants to purchase a handgun to possess a “Handgun Permit to Purchase”.  The permits, which could be denied by the Maryland State Police, would be required before a federally licensed dealer could transfer a handgun to a purchaser.  Make no mistake, if they are successful, they will soon want to require all gun purchasers to possess a permit to purchase.

If enacted into law, the State Police would have as long as 30 days to review the permit application and applicants would have to pay an unspecified nonrefundable fee and demonstrate "satisfactory" completion of an approved firearm safety course.  Of course, since the legislation doesn’t repeal Maryland’s existing purchase requirements, prospective handgun purchasers would still have to fill out the Maryland State Police purchaser form, pay another $10 fee, wait at least 7 business days and undergo another background check.

Please contact the following legislators and respectfully urge them to oppose this bill. 

Senator Brian Frosh (D-16)
(410) 841-3124
brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us