HB0820 • 2026

Handgun Permits - Special Endorsement for Security Clearance Holders

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Hornberger , Adams , Arikan , Baker , Chisholm , Ciliberti , and Griffith
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Handgun Permits - Special Endorsement for Security Clearance Holders

Requiring that a handgun permit bear a certain endorsement showing that the permit holder has enhanced privileges to wear, carry, or transport a handgun in any location where a law enforcement official is authorized to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, notwithstanding any law or ordinance that prohibits the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun at a place.

What This Bill Does

Requiring that a handgun permit bear a certain endorsement showing that the permit holder has enhanced privileges to wear, carry, or transport a handgun in any location where a law enforcement official is authorized to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, notwithstanding any law or ordinance that prohibits the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun at a place.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-05 House
Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-04 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Handgun Permits - Special Endorsement for Security Clearance Holders

Official Summary Text

Requiring that a handgun permit bear a certain endorsement showing that the permit holder has enhanced privileges to wear, carry, or transport a handgun in any location where a law enforcement official is authorized to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, notwithstanding any law or ordinance that prohibits the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun at a place.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0820*

HOUSE BILL 820
E4 6lr1987

By: Delegates Hornberger, Adams, Arikan, Baker, Chisholm, Ciliberti, and
Griffith
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Handgun Permits – Special Endorsement for Security Clearance Holders 2

FOR the purpose of requiring that a handgun permit issued by the Secretary of State Police 3
bear a certain endorsement showing that the permit holder has enhanced privileges 4
to wear, carry, or transport a handgun under certain circumstances; providing that 5
a person who has a handgun permit issued under this Act may wear, carry, or 6
transport a handgun at any place where a certain law enforcement official is 7
authorized to wear, carry, or transport a handgun; and generally relating to handgun 8
permits. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Public Safety 11
Section 5–315 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Public Safety 17

5–315. 18

(A) IN THIS SECTION, “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFIC IAL” HAS THE MEANING 19
STATED IN § 4–201 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE. 20

(B) A PERMIT ISSUED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE SHALL BEAR A SPECIAL 21
ENDORSEMENT THAT SHO WS THAT THE PERMIT H OLDER HAS ENHANCED 22
PRIVILEGES TO WEAR , CARRY, OR TRANSPORT A HANDG UN IF , BASED ON A 23
2 HOUSE BILL 820

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, THE SECRETARY DETERMINES THAT THE PERMIT 1
HOLDER IS: 2

(1) A CURRENT EMPLOYEE O F THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 3
WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION 4
SECURITY CLEARANCE; OR 5

(2) A RETIRED EMPLOYEE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 6
WHO HELD A TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION SECURITY 7
CLEARANCE FOR AT LEAST 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS IMMEDIATELY PR ECEDING 8
RETIREMENT FROM FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT. 9

(C) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY L AW OR ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITS THE 10
WEARING, CARRYING, OR TRANSPORTING OF A HANDGUN AT A PLACE, A PERSON 11
WHO HAS A PERMIT BEARING AN ENDORSEMENT UNDER THIS SECTION MAY WEAR, 12
CARRY, OR TRANSPORT A HANDG UN AT ANY PLACE WHERE A LAW ENFORCEMENT 13
OFFICIAL IS AUTHORIZED TO WEA R, CARRY, OR TRANSPORT A HANDG UN IN THE 14
PERFORMANCE OF THE OFFICIAL’S DUTIES. 15

(D) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT REGULATI ONS NECESSARY TO CARRY 16
OUT THIS SECTION. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19