Gun laws vary from state to state and frequently change. It is important to stay up to date on the current laws in your area. In the state of Maryland, the laws can be quite strict. It depends quite heavily on your local area laws as well. Before purchasing a gun, you should be aware of all laws concerning the state of Maryland.
It is dependent on the type of gun that you wish to own as to the law that covers it. For instance, the laws governing hand guns is different than those for rifles (commonly used for hunting). The Brady Campaign was started in response to the attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981. One of President Reagan’s White House aides was shot which caused lifelong injuries to him. Since that time, Jim Brady and his wife have fought to get tougher gun laws into legislation. The laws listed on their website are updated regularly to keep everyone informed of the situations in each state.
Maryland ranks five out of the fifty states in ranking on the Brady website. The laws are tough compared to forty-five other states. However, the ranking is based on one hundred criteria. Maryland passes fifty-three of those one hundred points as of this writing.
Some of the laws that govern guns in Maryland are as follows:
Assault Weapons
Not everyone can own an assault weapon. There are a great deal of restrictions in place for the purchase of these guns. It is against the law to sell/own assault pistol. Other types of assault weapons are allowed to be sold/bought but there are strict standards that must be followed. The buyer must wait seven days and pass a background check before he/she is allowed to take possession of such firearms.
Ballistic Fingerprinting
Ballistic fingerprinting is a tool that is very useful in solving crimes in which a gun is fired. The basics of this type of “fingerprinting” is that the gun is fired and the bullet is then given to police. It is then put in a system for use in the future in case the gun is used in a crime. This is a great tracking device for the police.
Although this is done in Maryland, it is only done for only used for handguns in the state of Maryland. This state does not have the technology needed to use ballistic fingerprinting for longer barreled guns. This means that rifles are not in the system.
Many crimes are committed with rifles, such as the sniper shootings that terrified the state of Maryland a few years ago. It would have been much easier to trace who owned the gun in the first place. This incident occurred in 2002. A total of ten people were murdered and three were wounded when they were gunned down in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C.. The numbers may have been much lower if this type of fingerprinting were used for rifles.
Child Access
Maryland requires that the gun owner be held accountable if a child age sixteen or younger uses the gun to threaten or harm another person. This is a step in the right direction for the state to protect children from the harm that can be done by a gun owner who might otherwise be careless about how they store the gun.
Child safety locks are required to be sold with the guns. It should be noted that it isn’t a legal requirement for the gun owner to use it. The safety locks that are sold with the gun are only required for handguns, not shot guns or rifles.
Dealer Law
The person who is selling the gun must obtain a copy of the purchasers state license in order to sell the gun. They are also required to keep the information recorded and maintained on site. It is also required that all information is reported to the state. The state then keeps those records in their database.
Age
You must be 21 years of age in order to legally purchase a gun in the state of Maryland. This is the same legal age limit on drinking in this state. Any firearms sold to a person younger than this age is subject to prosecution.
License/Permit To Purchase
Maryland law does require that anyone purchasing a handgun or assault weapon must receive a permit from their local law enforcement agency. If this cannot be acquired, you cannot purchase a gun in the state of Maryland legally. You must also take a firearms safety course.
Bulk Purchase of Weapons
There is a limit on the number of handguns you can purchase in a one month period in Maryland. You can only buy one handgun within a thirty day period. This prevents people from buying in bulk to sell the them to people on the streets illegally. It can also prevent one person from compiling a huge cache of weapons in order to suit their own needs.
These are the basic laws that govern the use of guns in the state of Maryland. You should check all laws to be sure that you are in concurrence with them. Law abiding citizens still have the right to arm themselves with gun if they feel the need to do so. There are many steps that you can take to ensure your safety and the safety of others if you choose this form of defense. Take some time to find out what they are so that you will know where you stand if you ever need to use it.
