Firearms Dealers and Employees - Required Training and Exam

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0741*

HOUSE BILL 741
E4 6lr2457
CF 6lr2409
By: Delegate Taylor
Introduced and read first time: February 3, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Firearms Dealers and Employees – Required Training and Exam 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Secretary of State Police to disapprove an application for 3
a State–regulated firearms dealer’s license under certain circumstances; requiring 4
that certain individuals complete certain training and satisfactorily pass a certain 5
written exam; requiring the Secretary to approve a certain training course and offer 6
a certain exam on or before a certain date; requiring the Secretary to issue a certain 7
certificate under certain circumstances; requiring a licensed dealer to maintain 8
certain records at the licensed dealer’s place of business; and generally relating to 9
required training and exams for licensed firearms dealers and their employees. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Public Safety 12
Section 5–110(a) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY adding to 16
Article – Public Safety 17
Section 5–145.2 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22

Article – Public Safety 23

5–110. 24

(a) The Secretary shall disapprove an application for a dealer’s license if: 25
2 HOUSE BILL 741

(1) the Secretary determines that the applicant supplied false information 1
or made a false statement; 2

(2) the Secretary determines that the application is not properly 3
completed; 4

(3) the Secretary receives a written notification from the applicant’s 5
licensed attending physician that the applicant suffers from a mental disorder and is a 6
danger to the applicant or to another; [or] 7

(4) the Secretary determines that the applicant intends that a person who 8
is not eligible to be issued a dealer’s license or whose dealer’s license has been revoked or 9
suspended: 10

(i) will participate in the management or operation of the business 11
for which the license is sought; or 12

(ii) holds a legal or equitable interest in the business for which the 13
license is sought; OR 14

(5) THE APPLICANT HAS FA ILED TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING OR 15
SATISFACTORILY PASS THE WRITTEN EXAM REQ UIRED UNDER § 5–145.2 OF THIS 16
SUBTITLE. 17

5–145.2. 18

(A) IN THIS SECTION, “EMPLOYEE” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY A 19
LICENSED DEALER , WHETHER OR NOT FOR COMPENSATION, AND WHOSE DUTIES 20
INCLUDE HANDLING FIR EARMS WITHIN THE LIC ENSED DEALER ’S PLACE OF 21
BUSINESS. 22

(B) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027: 23

(1) BEFORE AN INDIVIDUAL MAY APPLY TO BECOME A LICENSED 24
DEALER UNDER THIS SUBTITLE, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL COMPLETE THE TRAINING 25
AND SATISFACTORILY P ASS THE WRITTEN EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER SUBS ECTION 26
(D) OF THIS SECTION; 27

(2) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A LICENSED DEALER AN NUALLY SHALL 28
COMPLETE THE TRAININ G AND SATISFACTORILY PASS THE WRITTEN EXA M 29
DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION; AND 30

(3) WITHIN 20 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IS HIRED 31
AS AN EMPLOYEE, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL COMPLETE 32
HOUSE BILL 741 3

THE TRAINING AND SATISFACTORILY PASS THE WRITTEN EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER 1
SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION. 2

(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT 3
TO A CIVIL PENALTY NOT EXCEEDING $1,000 IMPOSED BY THE SECRETARY. 4

(D) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2026, THE SECRETARY SHALL: 5

(1) APPROVE AT LEAST ONE TRAINING COURSE THAT: 6

(I) MAY BE COMPLETED USING THE INTERNET; 7

(II) INCLUDES WRITTEN TRAINING MATERIALS; AND 8

(III) PROVIDES INSTRUCTION ON: 9

1. STATE AND FEDERAL LAW S REGULATING THE 10
TRANSFER OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION; 11

2. PREVENTING AND REPOR TING TO LAW 12
ENFORCEMENT THE THEFT OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION; 13

3. TEACHING CUSTOMERS FIREARM SAFETY, INCLUDING 14
SAFE STORAGE AND HANDLING OF FIREARMS; AND 15

4. RECOGNIZING AND REPO RTING TO LAW 16
ENFORCEMENT SIGNS OF: 17

A. STRAW PURCHASES; 18

B. FIREARM TRAFFICKING; 19

C. FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY; AND 20

D. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO INTENDS TO USE A FIREARM FOR 21
AN UNLAWFUL PURPOSE OR SELF–HARM; AND 22

(2) OFFER A WRITTEN MULT IPLE CHOICE EXAM TES TING THE 23
SUBJECTS DESCRIBED IN ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 24

(E) (1) (I) THE EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(2) OF THIS 25
SECTION SHALL INCLUDE AT LEAST 20 QUESTIONS. 26

4 HOUSE BILL 741

(II) THE SECRETARY MAY NOT LIM IT THE NUMBER OF TIM ES 1
THAT AN INDIVIDUAL MAY ATTEMPT THE EXAM. 2

(2) THE SECRETARY SHALL FIND THAT AN INDIVID UAL WHO HAS 3
CORRECTLY ANSWERED A T LEAST 70% OF THE EXAM QUESTION S HAS 4
SATISFACTORILY PASSE D THE EXAM AND SHALL ISSUE THE INDIVIDUAL A 5
CERTIFICATE STATING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS SATISFACTORILY P ASSED THE 6
EXAM. 7

(3) A LICENSED DEALER S HALL MAINTAIN AT THE LICENSED 8
DEALER’S PLACE OF BUSINESS A COPY OF EACH CERTI FICATE ISSUED BY THE 9
SECRETARY TO THE LICE NSED DEALER AND THE LICENSED DEALER’S EMPLOYEES 10
UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 11

(F) THE SECRETARY MAY ADOPT R EGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 12
SECTION. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2026. 15