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SB0331 • 2026

Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officer

Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officer

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senators Folden , Carozza , and West
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 455
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details about the removal of fingerprinting requirements, so this claim was removed from the explanation.

Handgun Permits for Retired Law Enforcement Officers

This law changes the expiration and renewal periods for handgun permits issued to retired law enforcement officers in Maryland.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the expiration date of a handgun permit issued to a retired law enforcement officer who retired in good standing from five years after it was issued to ten years later, based on their birth month.
  • Allows these permits to be renewed every five years instead of three years if the person still meets the requirements and pays the fee.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retired law enforcement officers who retired in good standing from a state, county, or municipal police force.

Terms To Know

Permit
A document that allows someone to carry, wear, or transport a handgun legally.
Retired in good standing
Leaving a job with no negative marks on the person's record.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to retired law enforcement officers who meet specific criteria.
  • It does not change how handgun permits are issued or renewed for other groups of people.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 455

  2. 2026-04-08 House

    Favorable Report by Judiciary

  3. 2026-03-26 House

    Third Reading Passed (128-2)

  4. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Returned Passed

  5. 2026-03-22 House

    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

  6. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

  7. 2026-03-01 House

    Referred Judiciary

  8. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (45-0)

  9. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  10. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  11. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.

  12. 2026-01-23 Senate

    First Reading Judicial Proceedings

  13. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officer

  14. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officer

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired Law Enforcement Officer

Official Summary Text

Establishing alternative expiration and renewal periods for a handgun permit issued to a retired law enforcement officer who retired in good standing from service with a law enforcement agency of the State or a county or municipal corporation of the State; and providing that a handgun permit issued to a law enforcement officer who retired in good standing expires on the last day of the holder's birth month following 5 years after the date the permit is issued and may be renewed for successive periods of 5 years under certain circumstances.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0331*

SENATE BILL 331
E4 6lr1277
SB 180/25 – JPR CF HB 94
By: Senators Folden, Carozza, and West
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Handgun Permits – Expiration and Renewal Periods for Retired 2
Law Enforcement Officer 3

FOR the purpose of establishing alternative expiration and renewal periods for a handgun 4
permit issued to a certain retired law enforcement officer; and generally relating to 5
handgun permits. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Public Safety 8
Section 5–301(a) and (c) and 5–304(b)(1) and (d)(2) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Public Safety 13
Section 5–309 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Public Safety 19

5–301. 20
2 SENATE BILL 331

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 1

(c) “Permit” means a permit issued by the Secretary to carry, wear, or transport 2
a handgun. 3

5–304. 4

(b) (1) Subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the Secretary may 5
charge a nonrefundable fee payable when an application is filed for a permit. 6

(d) The Secretary may not charge a fee under subsection (b) of this section to: 7

(2) a retired law enforcement officer of the State or a county or municipal 8
corporation of the State. 9

5–309. 10

(a) Except as provided in [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (d) AND (E) of this section, 11
a permit expires on the last day of the holder’s birth month following 2 years after the date 12
the permit is issued. 13

(b) [Subject] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION 14
AND SUBJECT to subsection (c) of th is section, a permit may be renewed for successive 15
periods of 3 years each if, at the time of an application for renewal, the applicant possesses 16
the qualifications for the issuance of a permit and pays the renewal fee stated in this 17
subtitle. 18

(c) A pers on who applies for a renewal of a permit is not required to be 19
fingerprinted unless the Secretary requires a set of the person’s fingerprints to resolve a 20
question of the person’s identity. 21

(d) The Secretary may establish an alternative expiration date f or a permit to 22
coincide with the expiration of a license, certification, or commission for: 23

(1) a private detective under Title 13 of the Business Occupations and 24
Professions Article; 25

(2) a security guard under Title 19 of the Business Occupations and 26
Professions Article; or 27

(3) a special police officer under § 3–306 of this article. 28

(E) A PERMIT ISSUED TO A R ETIRED LAW ENFORCEME NT OFFICER WHO 29
RETIRED IN GOOD STAN DING FROM SERVICE WI TH A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY 30
OF THE STATE OR A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE: 31
SENATE BILL 331 3

(1) EXPIRES ON THE LAST DAY OF THE HOLDER ’S BIRTH MONTH 1
FOLLOWING 5 YEARS AFTER THE DATE THE PERMIT IS ISSUED; AND 2

(2) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, MAY BE RENEWED 3
FOR SUCCESSIVE PERIODS OF 5 YEARS EACH IF, AT THE TIME OF AN AP PLICATION 4
FOR RENEWAL , THE APPLICANT POSSES SES THE QUALIFICATIO NS FOR THE 5
ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT. 6

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
October 1, 2026. 8

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.