Realtors and Carrying in Maryland
- Ryan Gass
- Aug 19, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 22, 2023
THIS ARTICLE IS NOW OUTDATED
FOR MOST UPDATED ARTICLE, CLICK HERE
Simply put- if you work in real estate, you qualify for your Maryland Handgun Permit (MD HGP- permit to carry a handgun). I have never met a realtor that was an employee of their broker and/or didn't have their own business license. If you operate on a 1099 AND/OR have your own business- you qualify.

As a 1099 OR business owner- you do not need a letter from your broker. To do so is to waste their time, and I have never met a broker that has a lot of spare time to dish out. I do not care what someone else told you about the process or what they did. I do this full time, 7 Days a week and am in constant communications with the Maryland State Police Licensing Division and their agents. There are always new changes and requirements- and what I am telling you here is up to date and will be updated when needed.
You WILL apply as a business owner. Yes, even if you do not have a business license and only have a 1099. Let me repeat, you WILL apply as a business owner. And as a business owner, you will not need a business license nor a letter from your broker.
If you were an employee and filling taxes with a W-2, then YES you would need a letter from your broker- but that has yet to be the case for any of our clients.
Under Handgun Permit Category, you will check the box that reads 'Owner or Employee of a Business' and then check the first box after that reading 'Business Activities'.

Also, you WILL NOT need to attach any letter from yourself explaining your situation. Instead, for Question #15 you will put "I am applying as a realtor/business owner. Attached you will find my 1099. My work comes with inherent threats and I often find myself in unfamiliar locations meeting clients or vendors for the first time. These threats exist 24/7. Accordingly as well as per the Maryland Department of State Police Licensing Division policy, I need this MD Handgun Permit to be without restrictions."

You WILL NOT need to attach a letter from yourself NOR a broker, regardless of what others have told you.
And remember- your PNC
For more information on applying for your MD Handgun Permit (HGP), CLICK HERE