Maryland Code, PUBLIC SAFETY 5-134
Terms Used In Maryland Code, PUBLIC SAFETY 5-134
- Adult: means an individual at least 18 years old. See
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- minor: means an individual under the age of 18 years. See
- Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
- state: means :
(1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or
(2) the District of Columbia. See
(b) A dealer or other person may not sell, rent, loan, or transfer a regulated firearm to a purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee who the dealer or other person knows or has reasonable cause to believe:
(1) is under the age of 21 years, unless the regulated firearm is loaned to a borrower who may possess the regulated firearm under § 5-133(d) of this subtitle;
(2) has been convicted of a disqualifying crime;
(3) has been convicted of a conspiracy to commit a felony;
(4) has been convicted of a violation classified as a common law crime and received a term of imprisonment of more than 2 years;
(5) is a fugitive from justice;
(6) is a habitual drunkard;
(7) is addicted to a controlled dangerous substance or is a habitual user;
(8) suffers from a mental disorder as defined in § 10-101(i)(2) of the Health – General Article, and has a history of violent behavior against the purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee or another, unless the purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee possesses a physician’s certificate that the recipient is capable of possessing a regulated firearm without undue danger to the purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee or to another;
(9) has been confined for more than 30 consecutive days to a facility as defined in § 10-101 of the Health – General Article, unless the purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee possesses a physician’s certificate that the recipient is capable of possessing a regulated firearm without undue danger to the purchaser, lessee, borrower, or transferee or to another;
(10) is a respondent against whom a current non ex parte civil protective order has been entered under § 4-506 of the Family Law Article;
(11) if under the age of 30 years at the time of the transaction, has been adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court for an act that would be a disqualifying crime if committed by an adult;
(12) is visibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
(13) is a participant in a straw purchase;
(14) subject to subsection (c) of this section for a transaction under this subsection that is made on or after January 1, 2002, has not completed a certified firearms safety training course conducted free of charge by the Police Training and Standards Commission or that meets standards established by the Police Training and Standards Commission under § 3-207 of this article; or
(15) intends to use the regulated firearm to:
(i) commit a crime; or
(ii) cause harm to the purchaser, lessee, transferee, or recipient or another person.
(c) A person is not required to complete a certified firearms safety training course under subsection (b)(14) of this section if the person:
(1) has already completed a certified firearms safety training course required under subsection (b)(14) of this section;
(2) is a law enforcement officer of the State or any local law enforcement agency in the State;
(3) is a member, retired member, or honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard;
(4) is a member of an organization that is required by federal law governing its specific business or activity to maintain handguns and applicable ammunition;
(5) has been issued a permit to carry a handgun under Subtitle 3 of this title; or
(6) is the borrower of a firearm.
(d) (1) A person may not sell, rent, or transfer:
(i) ammunition solely designed for a regulated firearm to a person who is under the age of 21 years; or
(ii) 1. a firearm other than a regulated firearm to a minor;
2. ammunition for a firearm to a minor;
3. pepper mace, which is an aerosol propelled combination of highly disabling irritant based products and is also known as oleo-resin capsicum (O.C.) spray, to a minor; or
4. another deadly weapon to a minor.
(2) A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both.