frequently asked questions

Individuals Seeking Employment in Certain Sectors:

Law enforcement agencies (police officers, detectives, etc.)

Corrections officers and employees in correctional facilities

Security personnel in sensitive or high-security areas

Healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, caregivers, etc.)

Educators and employees in educational institutions

Childcare providers and employees in childcare centers

Applicants for Licenses or Certifications:

Professionals seeking licensing in fields such as medicine, law, or engineering

Individuals applying for real estate licenses or mortgage broker licenses

Applicants for security guard licenses or private investigator licenses

Aspiring drivers seeking commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs)

Volunteers and Employees in Specific Fields:

Individuals seeking volunteer or employment positions in child-centered facilities (foster care, adoption agencies, etc.)

Prospective employees in sensitive positions within the government sector

Individuals applying for positions involving vulnerable populations (elderly care, disabled care, etc.)

Immigration and Visa Applicants:

Individuals applying for immigrant or non-immigrant visas

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency (green card) in the United States

Applicants for citizenship and naturalization processes

Background Checks for Various Purposes:

Applicants for housing assistance programs

Individuals applying for certain types of loans or financial aid

Certain types of volunteers, such as mentors or tutors, working with minors

Individuals seeking to adopt a child

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and livescan fingerprinting requirements may vary based on specific circumstances or the organization requesting the fingerprints

Atlantic Tactical Firearms Trainers is now a private provider of LIVESCAN fingerprints for the state of Maryland. We can take care of fingerprinting not only for firearms permits but everything, like employment, immigration, Government licenses, and more. Click HERE to schedule an appointment

You can go to your local gun shop (FFL) to purchase a gun. You can purchase a gun outside of your home state, but the gun must be shipped to a gun shop (FFL) within your own state before you can pick it up.

Livescan and background checks are both processes used for gathering information about individuals, but they differ in their methods and scope. Here are the main differences between livescan and a background check:

Livescan:

Method: Livescan is a digital fingerprinting method that captures an individual’s fingerprints using a specialized scanner. The fingerprints are then digitally stored and can be used for various purposes, including identification and background checks.

Focus: Livescan primarily focuses on capturing and verifying an individual’s fingerprints. It is used to compare the fingerprints against existing databases to check for criminal records or other relevant information.

Accuracy: Livescan provides a high level of accuracy in capturing and comparing fingerprints, reducing the risk of errors or false positives in identifying individuals.

Uses: Livescan fingerprints are commonly used for criminal background checks, employment screening in certain industries, licensing purposes, immigration and visa applications, and other situations where verifying an individual’s identity or checking for criminal history is necessary.

Background Check:

Method: Background checks involve gathering information about an individual from various sources, such as public records, databases, and personal references. The information is collected through research, interviews, and sometimes through livescan fingerprints.

Scope: Background checks are more comprehensive than livescan alone. They can encompass a wide range of information, including criminal records, employment history, education verification, credit history, motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and more.

Accuracy: The accuracy of a background check depends on the quality and reliability of the sources used to gather information. It may involve manual research and verification, which can be subject to human error or incomplete records.

Uses: Background checks are commonly used for employment screening, tenant screening, volunteer screening, security clearances, due diligence for business transactions, and other situations where a more comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s background and history is required.

You have 90 days to register your handguns or regulated firearms once moving into Maryland. You can register your regulated firearms at your local FFL, gunshop. Reminder to posses a handgun in Maryland you will need a Handgun Qualification License (HQL). 

If you have had a legally owned handgun before October 1, 2013, you are training exempt and do not need to take the class to apply for your Handgun Qualification License (HQL). However, you will still be required to get your fingerprints taken as well as apply for your Handgun Qualification License online at www.MDSP.org

Once you have received your Handgun Qualification License (HQL) in your email, you will bring the HQL paper with you to the dealer.

Federal Law says you must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun or any regulated firearm. You must be 18 years old to purchase a long gun or rifle in Maryland.

A new Maryland resident has 90 days to register their handguns and can register their firearms at their local gun shop (FFL).

When traveling to the range with a handgun in Maryland, the gun must be in a case and must be separated from the ammunition with the magazines empty. You may only drive to and from the range. You cannot stop for gas, food, to purchase ammo, or even to pick up a friend on the way.

In order to get a Maryland Wear and Carry permit, you must take 16-hour Maryland Wear and Carry course with a Maryland State police Qualified Handgun Instructor which includes a shooting qualification. Then, you will get your fingerprints taken and apply. You will have a background check and a personal interview with a State Police Officer. If you are “not disapproved”, you will receive your Maryland Wear and Carry License in the mail.

In order to get a Maryland Wear and Carry permit, you must take 16-hour Maryland Wear and Carry course with a Maryland State police Qualified Handgun Instructor which includes a shooting qualification. Then, you will get your fingerprints taken and apply. You will have a background check and a personal interview with a State Police Officer. If you are “not disapproved”, you will receive your Maryland Wear and Carry License in the mail.

In order to get a Handgun Qualification License (HQL), you must take an HQL course with a Maryland State police Qualified Handgun Instructor, get your fingerprints taken, and then apply through the Maryland State Police Website. You will receive your HQL through the mail which will look similar to a driver license.

In order to buy a handgun in the state of Maryland, you must get a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) before going to any gun shop. This will require that you take an HQL course with a Maryland State police Qualified Handgun Instructor, get your fingerprints taken, and then apply through the Maryland State Police Website. You will receive your HQL through the mail which will look similar to a driver license. Once you have your HQL, you will return to the State Police website to fill out the 77R background check. Bring your HQL, Drivers License, and 77R to the gun shop for your purchase.

In order to apply for your Handgun Qualification License (HQL), you must take an HQL course with a Maryland State police Qualified Handgun Instructor, get your fingerprints taken, and then apply through the Maryland State Police Website.

When applying online for your Handgun Qualification License (HQL), you will be asked for the serial number of your legally owned handgun. Upon providing that serial number you will have met your obligation

Someone who is active in the military does not need a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) to buy a handgun. They just need to bring their military ID as well as their license to their FFL (gunshop) to buy a handgun.

A military veteran still needs a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) in order to buy a handgun, but they do not need the classroom training a normal citizen would require. Veterans can click training exempt and input their DD-214 when applying for their HQL on the Maryland State Police Website.

Yes. You will need to have LIVESCAN fingerprints done by a provider authorized by the state of Maryland for your background check. ATFT is now an approved provider and can do your LIVESCAN prints right here. We also do LIVESCAN & ink prints for others as well, for example, nurses, childcare workers, car salesmen, and more.

Unfortunately, it depends on where you will be traveling to and what kind of gun you are looking to travel with. There is Interstate Transport (between states), Intrastate Transport (within Maryland).

During Interstate Transport, when you cross state lines, the gun has to be unloaded, locked in a case, in separate parts of the car from the ammunition. When traveling Interstate with your gun, you may stop for food, lodging, or temporary domicile of at least one day. While you are in a state, you must adhere to that state’s gun laws. Check the state’s gun laws before you travel.

During Intrastate Transport, when traveling within Maryland, it depends on what kind of gun you are traveling with. For a Long Gun or Rifle, you should keep it separate from ammunition with the magazines unloaded. For a HandGun, you should keep it separate from ammunition with the magazines unloaded, but you can only travel to and from your place of business, to and from a gun shop, to and from a gunsmith, to and from a formal or informal shooting event, or to and from dog obedience training. You may not stop for any reason.

No, a citizen cannot publicly open carry in Maryland unless you have obtained a Maryland Wear and Carry License for Security Officers. You may, however, openly carry a handgun on your own property. By the letter of the law, you can publically open carry a rifle in Maryland, but we strongly suggest that you don’t. Open carrying a rifle was allowed so people don’t get harassed while walking into the woods to go hunting.

Yes, Maryland has a “Maryland Wear and Carry” permit that allows citizens to conceal and carry and handgun or pistol.