In addition to having a Maryland driver's license, Maryland requires all gun purchasers to watch a safety video before purchasing a "regulated firearm". Once complete, the purchaser is issued a certification card. Every time you purchase a regulated firearm in Maryland thereafter, you must present this card to prove you have watched the safety video and understand. An online program offered by the Maryland Police Training Commission can also fill this requirement with the purchaser receiving the card at the end of the online lecture.

 

Maryland State Police also maintains a database of all "regulated firearms" purchased in the state. A regulated firearm in Maryland includes all handguns and so-called "assault-style" rifles. Assault style rifles include all AK-47 style rifles, CETME/G3, FAL and copies, etc. When purchasing a regulated firearm, there is a seven-day waiting period before the purchaser can pick up his gun. During this seven-day waiting period, Maryland State Police conducts its own background check, which includes juvenile records, and, if the transaction is approved, they record the firearm serial number and owner. If a legally-registered gun owner commits a felony in Maryland, Maryland State Police uses their database to obtain a search warrant and confiscate any and all firearms in that person's possession.

 

Maryland tightly restricts the issuance and use of concealed carry permits. An individual must either prove that their employment requires the transportation of large amounts of cash or, in the case of security guards and private detectives, that the use of a handgun is required to perform his or her duties. Individuals citing personal protection must produce documentation of death threats supported by police reports; even then, permits have been denied in some cases. Almost all permits have tight restrictions on their use; for example, a licensed business owner or employee may only legally carry concealed while in the act of transporting cash from his or her business.

 

New handguns sold in Maryland must include a sealed envelope, provided by the manufacturer, containing a shell casing from a cartridge fired by that gun. When the gun is sold, the dealer must send the envelope with the shell casing, along with information identifying the purchaser, to the state police, for inclusion in their ballistics database, known as the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS).