Public Safety - Handgun Permit Requirement - Repeal (Maryland's Constitutional Carry Act of 2025)
Summary
HB 353 would repeal Maryland’s handgun permit system and make broad changes to the state’s firearms laws to allow most adults to carry, wear, or transport handguns without first obtaining a permit. The bill removes the Public Safety Article’s handgun permit subtitle, deletes references to permit holders from the criminal law, and replaces the current permit-based framework with a new rule that generally prohibits only persons under 21 from carrying handguns, along with certain location- and conduct-based restrictions that remain in place.
The bill also adds a new offense for carrying a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and it preserves or restates several existing exceptions for law enforcement, military personnel, correctional officers, and certain lawful activities such as target shooting, hunting, and other authorized uses. It would take effect October 1, 2025, and would substantially shift Maryland from a permit-to-carry regime to a constitutional-carry model for handgun possession in public.
Impact
HB 353 would repeal Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Public Safety Article, eliminating the state’s handgun carry permit requirement and associated permitting provisions. It would also amend Criminal Law § 4-101 and § 4-203 to remove permit-holder exceptions, revise handgun possession restrictions, and create a new misdemeanor offense for carrying a handgun while intoxicated. In Natural Resources § 10-410, it would update cross-references so the vehicle-possession rules no longer rely on the repealed permit statute. The practical effect would be to expand lawful public carry for adults while retaining age limits, school-property restrictions, and other specified prohibitions.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill’s title and structure, the measure appears to be framed by its sponsors as a pro–Second Amendment, “constitutional carry” proposal. The absence of voting history or hearing testimony means the overall sentiment cannot be measured from the record provided, but the bill’s introduction by multiple delegates suggests organized support among its sponsors.
Contention
The central point of contention is the repeal of the handgun permit requirement itself, which would be expected to divide supporters of expanded firearm carry rights from those favoring permit screening and training. Another likely area of dispute is the bill’s age-based rule barring persons under 21 from carrying handguns, which preserves a restriction even as it removes the permit system. The new intoxication offense and the continued restrictions on school property, criminal intent, and certain vehicle possession rules may also draw attention, but the main policy conflict is between permitless carry and the existing regulatory framework.