Maryland HQL license requirements (and other stuff).

I took a Utah CCW class through Mid Atlantic Firearms Training, and they added me to their mailing list.  Fortunately they're not spammy so I tend to pay attention when I get something from them.

Earlier in the week, they sent this out to customers.  I've asked permission to reprint it in its entirety here:

Mid-Atlantic Firearms Training  October 6, 2012

Folks, We are sending out this email as a courtesy to those of you who may have some questions regarding the new firearms laws that have gone into effect in Maryland on October 1, 2013.  This is known as the Firearm Safety Act 2013 aka SB281. Like many of you, I did everything I could to protest, discourage and stop this bill from being signed into law.  However, that did eventually happen and here we are 1 week later.  At this point, it is no longer theory or "what if", rather it is a reality and now we deal with it's implementation. We have been quite silent in sending out too many announcements as it became clear the law would go through as it seemed everything was in a state of flux and in reality, things are still in a state of flux.  However, we do now have some more concrete info we can share that will hopefully help you understand how this law may/may not affect you and if you will need to acquire further training under it's provisions.

Handgun Qualification License and Training Requirements I am going to outline the requirements for the Handgun Qualification License hereby referred to as HQL and the training requirements. Under the Firearms Safety Act 2013 also known as SB281, all new handgun purchasers must apply for and receive a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) before purchase.  This HQL must be presented to the FFL or gun shop.   There are certain individuals who exempt from the handgun qualification license: A Licensed Firearms Manufacturer. Active law enforcement officer or a person retired in good standing from a law enforcement agency of the United States, the State, or a local law enforcement agency of the State. A member or retired member of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard.  (This may apply to quite a few of you.) A person purchasing, renting or receiving an antique, curio or relic as defined in federal law or in determinations published by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  (For those of you who deal with C&R firearms) The above listed individuals or entities must provide acceptable documentation to the dealer or FFL prior to purchasing a regulated firearm.  Do your self a favor, save a trip and bring it with you. There are certain individuals who will need an HQL but are exempt from a further training requirement:    Have completed a Maryland State Police (MSP) approved certified firearms safety course Have completed a course of instruction and been issued a certificate of competency in firearms and hunter safety from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Is currently a qualified handgun instructor Is an honorably discharged member of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard. Is an employee of an armored car company who has a valid Wear and Carry Permit issued by MSP. Lawfully owns a regulated firearm.  If you own a regulated firearm prior to October 1, 2013, you are not required to complete the training and may apply for the Handgun Qualification License. Pay particular attention to the last bullet point as that will affect many of you.  In other words, if you already own a handgun you will NOT be required to take the HQL training course, BUT you will need to apply for the HQL if you want to purchase any future handguns. Soooo, the question is:  What if I need HQL Training?? If you are in the category of individuals who will need to take the HQL training course, we certainly have you covered as well as your other firearms training needs.  The course will be a 4 hour course mandated by law that includes the following main topics: State Firearms Laws Home Firearms Safety Handgun Operation and Mechanisms Live Fire Component (obviously we provide the gun and ammunition) For a more detailed course description please visit the HQL page on our site at: Handgun Qualification License Training As usual, we will provide a COMPLETE course including help with the application if needed and discounts on LiveScan Fingerprinting services(required by MSP).

I hope you have found this information helpful and if you need our assistance please know we are there to help you through this confusing maze of new laws as well as provide the quality training you expect and we demand of ourselves.  We ask that you share this email with family and friends who may be thinking of purchasing a handgun for the first time.  I can tell you there are "Instructors" coming out of the woodwork looking to capitalize on this "opportunity".  Please let your family and friends know of your positive experience with us and send them our way.    Sincerely,    Bryan Fletcher Mid-Atlantic Firearms Training

More info regarding Saturday's post.

Go read it here.

God, it's even worse than we thought.

From an email I recieved from Associated Gun Clubs:

Governor Compromises the Privacy of Thousands of Maryland Citizens

We have confirmed earlier reports that on orders from Governor O'Malley, the Maryland State Police are sharing the personal information on 77R firearms purchase application forms with the following non-MSP government agencies:

Department of Human Resources (DHR)
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Department of Transportation
Department of Public Safety
Correctional Services of Department of General Services

This will impact no less than the 38 thousand Maryland citizens who are currently still waiting for the MSP to "Not Disapprove" their applications to purchase a regulated firearm.

It is our information that state employees are being offered "comp time" to work this weekend doing data input. Other than a reported confidentiality agreement, there appears to be no effort to investigate the possible criminal backgrounds of these employees.

These forms contain the applicant's name, address, date and place of birth, social security number as well as information on the firearm the applicant intends to purchase. The Maryland State Police have lost control of the Licensing Division.

At this time, we will not publicly speculate on the Governor's political motivation for this action.

I have no words.

The MDSP have released criteria for the license to own pistols/restricted firearms in Maryland.

More info here.

I believe I've said this many times before, but I truly hate this state. This will completely affect my ability to take newbies to the range, and I abhor this infringement of my and my friends' rights.

So SB281 went to the House.

And the final testimony was heard at almost 4AM on Saturday morning.

Here's one gem from the day:



More later.

I went to my first protest/rally today.

I drove down to Annapolis with a female friend in tow, and we were amazed. I'd estimate about three thousand pro-2A people showed up for the rally, and we FILLED the MD Senate building. They had to shut down the building - it was at capacity. We had folks from Maryland Shall Issue, Maryland Shooters Forum, the NRA, and I believe I spotted one of the Alans from the 2AF...that, or he has a twin running 'round Annapolis.

So, an observation: the crowd at the rally was possibly the most polite and respectful crowd I've had the pleasure to be around. I'm slightly agoraphobic in certain situations - for example, the photos of the Ravens rally yesterday made me nervous - but I only felt a slight amount of ohgodTOOMANYPEOPLE near the end, while waiting to sign the testimony book. This group of men, women, and yes, children, really helped to put a pleasant face on what many folks down in Naptown think is a big evil monster. I'm proud to be a part of it, and given the opportunity I think I'd go back down for similar reasons.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to testify. We stood in line for over 2 hours just to be told we wouldn't be allowed in. I have faith my fellow protesters said some fantastic things. I just hope we have a prayer of making a difference. I'm told Beretta has threatened to leave Maryland if SP281 gets passed, and I trust them to follow through with that threat. If anything has an impact on my state senators, that might. Maybe. I hope.

And because I remembered to take a photo, here's a crappy picture showing the amount of people who were there:

The crowd filled that ENTIRE square, plus maybe another hundred people on the steps immediately in front of me, and another 100 or so in line to get in the Senate building. SO MANY PEOPLE. More pictures and updates have been and will be posted here, here, and probably in other threads in that section of MDS. Please feel free to keep an eye on them.


Also, as we were leaving, "someone" in a police motorcade, two tour buses, and a guy with a Mini-14 hanging out the back of the last car in the motorcade caused the trolley we were in to practically beach itself on the curb. Thanks, nitwit. So glad to know you felt the need to show off your might.

People Control Does Not Work

Jay over at MArooned turned me on to this article from CBS News in Baltimore that I had not seen, and as I read it I realized that it points out all the failures of Baltimore and Maryland's crime prevention and gun control policies.

At the 4th of July celebration in Baltimore's Inner Harbor area - one of the safest spots in town - there was a child hit by a stray bullet, a stabbing murder and numerous fights broke out. This is not unusual activity in Baltimore on a non-holiday weekend, but hundreds if not thousands of people that have fled the city and rarely come into town were there for the 4th of July celebrations. They saw anew what the downtown area is like. Most of these people never come to Downtown if they can help it, and ignore the news as they live in their suburb utopia. Now there is local outrage, because the Mayor and the Police Commissioner have been telling the citizens the downtown area is safe since a rash of attacks by packs of teens in 2009.

Maryland has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country. Among the existing hurdles, it has a regulated firearms list, a ballistics database requirement for new sales, a waiting period, and purchase time requirements. It's the 7th most restrictive state according to the Brady Gun Control Center. Maryland is also a "May issue" concealed carry state. Because of this, and the permit issue review board, that means you will not get a concealed carry permit. Citizens are told to call the police if you are attacked or need help. Baltimore has gone further than that to "protect" you while you're in town. They have installed surveillance cameras all over the city and they will be spending additional tax money to install more. The city also has instituted a curfew for teens in the city to combat the previous problems with attacks. Finally, the city also tested an acoustic gunshot detection system. It is unclear if it ever produced any results or was fully instituted.

While all these safegard laws are in place there were also about 600 police officers downtown for the 4th of july celebrations. Sounds pretty safe right?

The CBS article states "Police say they made 30 arrests and handled 20 curfew violations." "An all-out brawl broke out." "Several fights broke out," and "a 26-year-old from Alabama...died after he was stabbed in the neck with a bottle." "Chaos also erupted at Light and Pratt streets, where a 4-year-old was shot in the leg with a stray bullet."

The Police Commissioner responded with, “We had incredible deployments down there and literally feet away from where this incident occurred,” and the Mayor responded with, “This is absolutely ridiculous. People come down to the harbor to enjoy themselves,” The City Council President said, “Most people are out here for a good celebration and to have something like this, most people won’t come back next year.” Police also added "the camera located at the intersection did not capture any part of the shooting. Detectives did not recover any shell casings, either."

Wow! So what do we do now? The city leader's statements almost sound like they were saying,"But we tried so hard? Why did this happen to us?" An army of cops, high tech surveillance systems, the ballistics database, lawfully owned guns off the street, a legally unarmed and defenseless populace...all useless to prevent these crimes. Will we have martial law next? Perhaps we just can't have nice things. Should we call the TSA for grope-downs at all city events? More regulation and restrictions on law abiding citizens? Ban all bottles? More reactionary policing?

I'm dreading the new laws and restrictions that will come of this.  How long will it be before we have checkpoints every few miles?

Whatever happened to "The Free State?"