Maryland Handgun Roster Board Denies or Tables Nearly Every New Petition, What Next? – Prince Law Offices Blog

As our Maryland readers will certainly bear in mind, the Maryland Handgun Roster Board (HRB) presides over the method of approving handguns for addition to the Maryland Handgun Roster, which is required earlier than any handgun manufactured post-1984 could be bought within the state.

Though the assembly minutes gained’t be accessible till June, I’m listening to that on the Board’s March 5, 2025 assembly, they denied or tabled practically each firearm submitted. Based on the agenda, there have been about 127 handguns up for consideration, and dozens of them would have been minor variations of handguns already on the roster. Till January of 2024, the final the disapproval checklist was up to date, the HRB had solely ever denied 54 handguns. if what I’m listening to is appropriate, that quantity might have tripled yesterday.

How and Why?

For anyone who isn’t positive how the HRB works, it consists of 11-members, one is the Secretary of the State Police or his designee, and the opposite 10 are Maryland residents appointed by the Governor with the recommendation and consent of the Senate for 4-year phrases in line with these necessities:

(i) one shall be a consultant of the Affiliation of Chiefs of Police; (ii) one shall be a consultant of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Affiliation; (iii) one shall be a handgun seller, gunsmith, or consultant of a handgun producer; (iv) one shall be a resident of the State who’s a consultant of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation or its affiliated State affiliation; (v) one shall be a consultant of a corporation that advocates towards handgun violence; and (vi) 5 shall be public members, two of whom shall be mechanical or electrical engineers.

Below the related Maryland Regulation, the HRB wants 6 members for a quorum, and votes cross by easy majority.

There was one member of the HRB who has voted towards practically each firearm submitted for the final two years (you possibly can guess which one from the checklist above). That quantity shortly grew as new members had been appointed final yr and by the tip of 2024, there have been three members voting towards each software and a fourth incessantly becoming a member of. It’s nonetheless unclear what precisely occurred yesterday, however I’m advised it appears to be like like there are actually 4 votes towards each firearm and a fifth incessantly becoming a member of, leaving no room for absences in a really slim majority.

What Subsequent?

In the event you submitted a petition so as to add a handgun to the roster and it was denied, you must obtain a letter shortly by licensed mail stating the idea for the denial and may have 15-days to request a listening to to enchantment the denial. It’s crucial that you don’t miss that deadline. There are possible a number of accessible bases to enchantment the denials individually, and relying on extra info, a wider unfold effort might also be attainable.

In the event you submitted a Petition to the Handgun Roster Board and it was denied, contact FICG at present to debate your choices.

Firearms Trade Consulting Group® (FICG®) is a registered trademark and division of Civil Rights Protection Agency, P.C., with rights and permissions granted to Prince Regulation Workplaces, P.C. to make use of on this article.

Printed by Dillon Harris, Esq.

Dillon grew up in Kingman, Arizona. Throughout highschool he acquired his first publicity to the authorized system, spending a summer time working within the Mohave County Legal professional’s Workplace working with attorneys and workplace workers in varied follow areas.

Dillon attended Northern Arizona College in Flagstaff, Arizona and acquired a Bachelor of Science diploma in Criminology and Legal Justice with specializations in Authorized and Legal Investigation, Authorized and Court docket Justice, and Justice in Politics, Media, and Common Tradition. All through and instantly after school he held positions in each the Court docket Administration and Clerk of Superior Court docket departments of the Superior Court docket of Arizona in Coconino County the place he was a part of a group that was awarded the 2016 Strategic Agenda Award by the Arizona State Judiciary and the 2016 Advantage Award by the Arizona Affiliation of Counties.

Dillon graduated cum laude from Vermont Regulation College and handed the Uniform Bar Examination in 2020. He’s licensed to follow regulation in Pennsylvania and Maryland and handles instances in each states coping with firearms or common property follow. He’s additionally admitted to the Third Circuit Court docket of Appeals and U.S. District Courts for the District of Maryland, the Center District of Pennsylvania, the Jap District of Pennsylvania.
View all posts by Dillon Harris, Esq.