Firearms Dealers and Employees - Required Training and Exam

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0692*

SENATE BILL 692
E4 6lr2409
CF HB 741
By: Senator Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

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 SENATE BILL 692

(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 wr itten 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is not eligible to be issued a dealer’s license or whose dealer’s license has been revoked or 9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 th e business for which the 13
license is sought; OR 14

(5) THE APPLICANT HAS FAILED TO COMPLE TE 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 C OMPENSATION, AND WHOSE DUTIES 20
INCLUDE: 21

(1) HANDLING FIREARMS WITHIN THE LICENSED DEALER’S PLACE OF 22
BUSINESS; OR 23

(2) SELLING OR TRANSFERRING FIREARMS. 24

(B) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027: 25

(1) BEFORE AN INDIVIDUAL MAY APPLY TO BECOME A LICENSED 26
DEALER UNDER THIS SUBTITLE, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL COMPLETE THE TRAINING 27
AND SATISFACTORILY P ASS THE WRITTEN EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION 28
(D) OF THIS SECTION; 29

SENATE BILL 692 3

(2) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A LICENSED DEALER AN NUALLY SHALL 1
COMPLETE THE TRAININ G AND SATISFACTORILY PASS THE WRITTEN EXA M 2
DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION; AND 3

(3) WITHIN 20 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IS HIRED 4
AS AN EMPLOYEE, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL COMPLETE 5
THE TRAINING AND SATISFACTORILY PASS THE WRITTEN EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER 6
SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION. 7

(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT 8
TO A CIVIL PENALTY NOT EXCEEDING $1,000 IMPOSED BY THE SECRETARY. 9

(D) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2026, THE SECRETARY SHALL: 10

(1) APPROVE AT LEAST ONE TRAINING COURSE THAT: 11

(I) MAY BE COMPLETED USING THE INTERNET; 12

(II) INCLUDES WRITTEN TRAINING MATERIALS; AND 13

(III) PROVIDES INSTRUCTION ON: 14

1. STATE AND FEDERAL LAW S REGULATING THE 15
TRANSFER OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION; 16

2. PREVENTING AND REPORTING TO LAW 17
ENFORCEMENT THE THEFT OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION; 18

3. TEACHING CUSTOMERS FIREARM SAFETY, INCLUDING 19
SAFE STORAGE AND HANDLING OF FIREARMS; AND 20

4. RECOGNIZING AND REPORTING TO LAW 21
ENFORCEMENT SIGNS OF: 22

A. STRAW PURCHASES; 23

B. FIREARM TRAFFICKING; 24

C. FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY; 25

D. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO INTENDS TO USE A FIREARM FOR 26
AN UNLAWFUL PURPOSE OR SELF–HARM; AND 27

4 SENATE BILL 692

E. ANY OTHER SUBJECT TH E SECRETARY DETERMINES 1
IS APPROPRIATE; AND 2

(2) OFFER A WRITTEN MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM TESTING THE 3
SUBJECTS DESCRIBED IN ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 4

(E) (1) (I) THE EXAM DESCRIBED UNDER SUBSECTION (D)(2) OF THIS 5
SECTION SHALL INCLUDE AT LEAST 20 QUESTIONS. 6

(II) THE SECRETARY MAY NOT LIM IT THE NUMBER OF TIM ES 7
THAT AN INDIVIDUAL MAY ATTEMPT THE EXAM. 8

(2) THE SECRETARY SHALL FIND THAT A N INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS 9
CORRECTLY ANSWERED A T LEAST 70% OF THE EXAM QUES TIONS HAS 10
SATISFACTORILY PASSE D THE EXAM AND SHALL ISSUE THE INDIVIDUAL A 11
CERTIFICATE STATING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS SATISFACTORILY P ASSED THE 12
EXAM. 13

(3) A LICENSED DEALER SHAL L MAINTAIN AT THE LICENSED 14
DEALER’S PLACE OF BUSINESS A COPY OF EACH CERTI FICATE ISSUED BY THE 15
SECRETARY TO THE LICE NSED DEALER AND THE LICENSED DEALER’S EMPLOYEES 16
UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 17

(F) THE SECRETARY MAY ADOPT R EGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS 18
SECTION. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENAC TED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21