Trouble Defense / Permit field guide
Live in Virginia or DC and spend time in Maryland? Train for Maryland’s Wear and Carry Permit with Trouble Defense in Northern Virginia. We’ll help you understand what to complete here and what to submit to Maryland afterward.
01 / The nonresident application
If you drive from Alexandria to visit family in Prince George’s County, your Virginia permit does not carry over at the state line. The same is true for a DC carry license. Eligible out-of-state residents can apply for Maryland’s Wear and Carry Permit through the Maryland State Police (MSP).
You may see this called a Maryland nonresident concealed carry permit or “Maryland nonresident CCW.” Choose Wear and Carry (Handgun Permit) in the Maryland portal.
This permit is for people who live outside Maryland but travel, work, or spend time in Maryland and want to carry a handgun there lawfully. Maryland calls that a nonresident applicant, and the process runs through the Maryland State Police rather than through a Virginia agency. A Virginia concealed handgun permit, on its own, does not authorize carrying in Maryland, so a separate Maryland Wear and Carry permit is needed for Maryland travel.
The permit is also for people who split their time between states, visit family in Maryland, commute for work, or travel through Maryland regularly. In each case the same Maryland rules apply, including training, fingerprinting, and the application in the Licensing Portal. Checking those requirements before a trip matters, because submitting an application does not authorize carrying until the permit is issued.
Most first-time applicants who need training take a 16-hour course with a Maryland Qualified Handgun Instructor. Some applicants, including qualifying current or former military members, can document a training exemption. Check that first, especially if you already have service records.
Check MSP eligibility and exemptions ↗Before booking a class, check the eligibility basics in Maryland Code section 5-306 and on the Maryland State Police Wear and Carry permit page. In general, an applicant must be at least 21 years old, with an exception for active members of the armed forces or the National Guard, and must not fall into a prohibited category. That includes, among other things, a felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction carrying more than one year, certain controlled substance convictions, and a history of alcohol or drug addiction or a propensity for violence.
The State Police also look at the full application and background check, so it is worth reading the official eligibility list in full rather than relying on a summary. If any category might apply, get that question answered before paying for training or fingerprinting, because the application fee is nonrefundable. The class itself teaches the Maryland rules, but it does not decide eligibility.
Study Maryland law, safe handling, storage, conflict de-escalation and where carry is restricted. Your instructor supervises the live-fire qualification. After successful completion, keep the signed Maryland qualification score sheet for your application.
See Maryland’s training requirements ↗New Wear and Carry applicants need at least 16 hours of instruction from a Qualified Handgun Instructor, according to the Maryland State Police firearms safety training page. The course is comprehensive by design. Classroom lessons cover Maryland firearm laws, how handguns work, how to operate firearms safely, and how to store firearms safely at home, followed by instruction in how to fire a handgun.
Range work is not a formality. Applicants must demonstrate firearm safety and proficiency with a minimum score of 70 percent accuracy, and most applicants shoot a Basic Practical Handgun Course of at least 25 rounds. The instructor certifies the result on the signed MSP 29-14 Certified Qualification Score Sheet, which is the document later uploaded to the Licensing Portal. Training must also be recent: the State Police state that it must have been completed within two years before the application.
Use a Maryland-approved LiveScan provider. A fingerprint appointment near your home in Virginia or DC will not satisfy this step. Tell the provider you are applying for a Wear and Carry Permit and keep the receipt.
Find an approved fingerprint provider ↗Before applying, fingerprints must be taken through LiveScan and submitted to the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The State Police publish the exact details to use for this step: agency authorization number 9400082484, Originating Agency Identifier MDMSP6000, and reason code for Public Safety Article section 5-305. Applicants also sign the FBI Privacy Act Statement and Acknowledgement when fingerprints are taken.
Plan this as a separate Maryland step, not something handled in the Fairfax classroom. Keep the LiveScan receipt safe, because the Licensing Portal asks for it during the application. If a fingerprint appointment is booked for the same trip as a class or range day, allow enough time for the appointment itself and for travel between locations, so the receipt is in hand before the online application is started.
Gather your fingerprint receipt, color passport-style photo and signed score sheet or exemption documentation. Complete the application in the MSP Licensing Portal, submit the required fee and watch your email. Training and a submitted application do not authorize you to carry in Maryland.
Open the Maryland Licensing Portal ↗02 / Before you book
The application itself is filed online through the Maryland Licensing Portal, not on paper and not through the training provider. The State Police describe the flow in order: create an account or log in, complete the sections of the application, upload the required documents, and submit the application with the fee. A complete application is what starts the State Police review and background check, so missing documents are the most common reason to pause and gather paperwork before submitting.
Have three uploads ready before starting: the LiveScan fingerprint receipt, the completed and signed MSP 29-14 Certified Qualification Score Sheet or any exemption documentation, and a passport-style photograph. The State Police list the initial application fee at 125 dollars, paid electronically, and note that it is nonrefundable and does not include training or fingerprinting costs. After submission, the applicant receives an email with the decision, and an approval letter and permit card are mailed. A denied applicant may request an informal review or appeal within 10 days.
Choose a Maryland Wear & Carry course date and check every required session before paying. Ask us to confirm which classroom sessions meet in Fairfax, how the second day is delivered, and when and where you’ll qualify.
The course is beginner-friendly. The registration listing includes firearm use, a target, and eye and ear protection. It asks students to provide 100 rounds and pay range fees. Confirm the ammunition you’ll need before buying it.
Tuition covers instruction and supervised qualification. Maryland’s standard initial application fee is $125, paid separately to the state. For an applicant paying both, that’s $450 before fingerprints, ammunition and range fees.
Range and fingerprint charges depend on the provider. Check your selected appointment for fees and the state’s application page for any fee exemption that applies to you.
03 / Common questions
These two Maryland credentials are easy to confuse, because both involve firearms safety training, but they do different jobs. A Handgun Qualification License, or HQL, is needed to purchase, rent, or receive a handgun in Maryland, and new HQL applicants need at least four hours of instruction. An HQL on its own does not authorize carrying a handgun.
A Wear and Carry permit is the credential for legally wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun in Maryland, subject to the restrictions that still apply to permit holders. That is why the training bar is higher: at least 16 hours for a new Wear and Carry applicant, compared with four hours for a new HQL applicant. Someone who only needs to buy a handgun in Maryland and someone who plans to carry in Maryland are therefore taking different paths, even though both start with a Qualified Handgun Instructor.
Already have a permit or a training certificate? Start with the question that matches your situation.
Yes. Maryland residency is not an eligibility requirement for the Wear and Carry Permit. Use your own residential address and review the state’s full eligibility criteria before paying for training. Maryland State Police decides whether to issue the permit. Read Maryland’s permit eligibility law ↗
Maryland does not recognize an out-of-state carry permit. If you receive a Maryland permit, restrictions still apply in certain locations. Check Maryland’s current guidance before planning a trip. Check prohibited places in Maryland ↗
This class is for the Wear and Carry Permit. The Handgun Qualification License (HQL) addresses a different question about acquiring a handgun in Maryland. If purchasing is your goal, review the HQL requirements before choosing a class. Read the HQL guide →
If you have a current Maryland permit and need to renew it, use the renewal course listing and check the dates on your permit. Maryland has separate instructions for expired permits. See Maryland renewal training →
MSP says that unless you are exempt, qualifying training must have been completed within two years before you submit your application. Keep the signed score sheet and follow the current checklist when you apply. Read the initial application instructions ↗
Trouble Defense / Veteran & family owned
A Wear and Carry permit is not permission to carry everywhere. The Maryland State Police prohibited places page sets out a long list that applies even to permit holders, including schools and childcare facilities, healthcare facilities, government buildings, state parks and forests, higher education facilities, polling places, and venues such as stadiums, museums, amusement parks, racetracks, and casinos. Establishments that sell alcohol for on-site consumption and private property where the owner has not consented are also on the list, along with a restriction near demonstrations.
Because court decisions have changed how some of those categories are treated, and the State Police page notes recent litigation, check the current prohibited places page before traveling rather than relying on memory. Planning a route and a destination with that list in hand is part of carrying lawfully, and it is a good question to raise in class if a planned stop falls into a gray area.
An initial permit is valid until the last day of the month of birth, two years after it is issued, according to the State Police. Renewal should be started 90 days before expiration through the Licensing Portal, using the START HGP option for a renewal application. Renewal applicants need at least eight hours of instruction, unless exempt, and must upload a new completed and signed MSP 29-14 score sheet.
Timing matters at renewal. The State Police state that renewing at least 14 days before expiration allows the holder to continue carrying until a decision is made, and they advise allowing 90 days for processing. If a permit has already expired, the applicant must reapply as a new applicant, including the 16-hour course and a new LiveScan fingerprint submission. The renewal application fee listed by the State Police is 75 dollars.
Start with the Maryland Wear & Carry listing. If your schedule is tight or you’re unsure which course to choose, call our team before registering.