Maryland: Ammunition Registration Bill Scheduled for a Hearing Next Week

Please Contact the Members of the House Judiciary Committee!

House Bill 1446, a bill requested by the Maryland State Police to require the registration of ammunition at purchase, has passed out of the House Rules & Executive Nominations Committee.  It has been re-referred to the House Judiciary Committee and scheduled for a hearing at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 19.

This bill would require that any person engaged in the business of selling ammunition maintain extensive records on all sales, including the date of sale, purchaser’s full name, address, date of birth, and form of ID used, as well as the type and quantity of ammunition purchased. The bill also forces a business that sells ammunition to allow the inspection of the sales record by a law enforcement officer upon request.  HB 1446 is tantamount to firearm registration, will do nothing to stop crime, and will only increase the size and bureaucratic scope of the Maryland State Police.  If passed, they will no doubt be back wanting a background check or license to purchase ammunition as well.  This bill must be defeated. 

Simply put, this bill targets law-abiding gun owners and does little to curb crime.  It is a de facto gun registration scheme concocted by the Maryland State Police and will not stop criminals from driving out of state to purchase ammunition for nefarious purposes.

The U.S. Congress has tried ammunition registration in the past, only to discover that it was not only ineffective for law enforcement, but also completely unmanageable due to the sheer volume of transactions.  Ammunition registration creates huge record keeping requirements and provides no useful benefits for law enforcement which is why it was repealed by the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986.

Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose HB 1446.  Contact information can be found below. 

Delegate Curtis Anderson (D-43)
(410) 841-3291
[email protected]

Delegate Benjamin Barnes (D-21)
(410) 841-3046
[email protected]

Delegate Jill Carter (D-41)
(410) 841-3283
[email protected]

Delegate Frank Conaway Jr. (D-40)
(410) 841-3189
[email protected]

Delegate Kathleen Dumais (D-15)
(410) 841-3052
[email protected]

Delegate Don Dwyer Jr. (D-31)
(410) 841-3047
[email protected]

Delegate William Frank (R-42)
(410) 841-3793
[email protected]

Delegate J.B. Jennings (R-7)
(410) 841-3698
[email protected]

Delegate Kevin Kelly (D-1B)
(410) 841-3404

Delegate Benjamin Kramer (D-19)
(410) 841-3485
[email protected]

Delegate Susan Lee (D-16)
(410) 841-3649
[email protected]

Delegate Gerron Levi (D-23A)
(410) 841-3101
[email protected]

Delegate Susan McComas (R-35B)
(410) 841-3272
[email protected]

Delegate Tony McConkey (R-33A)
(410) 841-3406
[email protected]

Delegate Victor Ramirez (D-47)
(410) 841-3340
[email protected]

Delegate Todd Schuler (D-8)
(410) 841-3526
[email protected]

Delegate Luiz Simmons (D-17)
(410) 841-3037
[email protected]

Delegate Michael Smigiel Sr. (R-36)
(410) 841-3555
[email protected]

Delegate Kriselda Valderrama (D-26)
(410) 841-3210
[email protected]