Many people have heard varying things about what it is like to apply for an qualify for their MD Permit to Carry a Handgun; some true, some outdated, and some completely false. In this blog discussion over the next coming weeks, we will discuss different aspects of the process and how so many people are now getting approved. You will hear first hand accounts and seek how others in your community articulated their 'Good and Substantial Reason'. "Can you guarantee I will be approved?" No trustworthy instructor can answer that with a 'Yes'. If an instructor, lawyer, or the random guy in a gun shop tells you that they can, they are not someone you want to be doing business with. If they don't have theirs unrestricted themselves- they are not someone you want to be doing business with. "I know a cop and he/she said that I will never be approved"A large portion of law enforcement in MD don't even know that Maryland allows the carry of a handgun by citizens. Those that do have never been through the process themselves and are passing on information that they have heard, often times from a third person who have never been through the process themselves. "Yeah, but I called Maryland State Police Licensing Division and they said they will not approve my permit request"They weren't lying to you. They may very well deny you. But- it's ultimately not up to them whether you get approved or not. If they do deny you and you do not chose to appeal their decision to the Handgun Permit Review Board (think of it as a citizens review board), you have chosen to leave that decision up to the MSP Licensing Division and you will not receive your permit.But the Handgun Permit Review Board is repeatedly and consistently overturning decisions made by the Maryland State Police Licensing Division so much that the anti-gun politicians in Annapolis attempted last year to ban the Handgun Review Board altogether- an attempt that in the end failed.
We will talk more about the application and appeals process more in depth in the coming days, months and weeks- even providing you updates from the Handgun Permit Review Board which convenes every other Tuesday in Crownsville, MD. UPDATE: The board now meets in Baltimore on Mondays. Be sure to subscribe to our page, follow us on FB/IG @PTPGun, and join our PTP Militia for updates to this blog.