Maryland SB 334 Handgun Ban Explained

On May 26, 2026, Governor Wes Moore signed Senate Bill 334 into law. Within hours, gun-rights groups had filed a federal lawsuit to stop it. If you own handguns in Maryland — or you're planning your firearms estate — here's what the law actually does, what it doesn't do, and why the next several months matter.

What the Law Actually Does

SB 334 (and its cross-filed House companion) prohibits the manufacture, sale, offer for sale, purchase, receipt, or transfer of certain semiautomatic pistols the state classifies as "machine gun convertible pistols." In plain terms, the law targets handguns built with a design feature — a so-called "cruciform trigger bar" — that can be readily converted to fire fully automatically using an auto sear or "switch." Under the statutory definition, the conversion is one that can occur without additional engineering, machining, or modification of the pistol's trigger mechanism.

A few things worth being precise about, because the headlines have been sloppy:

• The conversion devices themselves — the auto sears and "switches" that actually make a pistol fire full-auto — are already illegal to possess under federal law. They are machine guns under the National Firearms Act, and the registry has been closed to new civilian machine guns since 1986. SB 334 is aimed at the host pistols, not just the device.
• Maryland joined California in enacting this type of restriction, and Connecticut enacted a similar measure the same day Maryland's bill was signed.
• The Maryland State Police are required to publish, by regulation, a list of the prohibited pistols. That list is what you'll want to watch — it's how the state identifies which specific models fall under the ban.
• Violations carry serious penalties: a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to three years in prison.

What the Law Does Not Do

This is the part I get the most questions about, so let me be clear.

The ban applies to new sales, purchases, and transfers. As the law is written, there is no mandated surrender or relinquishment of pistols you already lawfully own. If you legally possess one of these handguns today, the law does not order you to turn it in. The restriction bites on the supply side — what dealers can sell and what buyers can acquire going forward.

There are also several exemptions, including for law enforcement, certain retired law enforcement officers, immediate family transfers, inheritance, estate administration, servicing by dealers or gunsmiths, surrender, temporary gratuitous exchanges, and certain out-of-state dealer or manufacturer transactions. If you're handling a firearm through an estate or a family transfer, those carve-outs matter — and they're easy to get wrong without reading the statute carefully.

The Timeline

The dates matter, because there are two of them:

• October 1, 2026 — the overall act takes effect.
• January 1, 2027 — the prohibition on sale, purchase, and transfer begins.

So there is a window. Whether you should act inside it is a personal decision, and it's complicated by the lawsuit below.

The Lawsuit Hanging Over All of This

Within hours of the signing, the National Rifle Association, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation filed suit — National Rifle Association v. Moore — on May 26, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, against Governor Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown, and Acting Maryland State Police Superintendent Michael Jackson. They argue the affected handguns are in common use for lawful self-defense and that the state can't ban them based on what they could be modified to do.

I'm not going to predict the outcome — anyone who tells you they know how this litigation ends is guessing. But the practical takeaway is that the legal status of these firearms in Maryland may shift between now and the effective dates. That uncertainty should factor into any decision you make.

How This Fits With NFA Trusts and Firearms Estate Planning

SB 334 is about handguns, and it's separate from the NFA items I help clients hold in trust — suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and the like. Owning one of these pistols doesn't put it in your gun trust, and a gun trust won't exempt you from this law.

But it's part of a clear pattern: Maryland keeps tightening firearms regulation, and the rules keep moving. That's exactly why I push clients toward documented, compliant ownership and a firearms estate plan that anticipates change. When the law shifts under you, the worst position to be in is an informal arrangement — a collection that passes to an heir who has no idea what's legal, what's registered, and what has to be handled a particular way. A properly drafted plan accounts for the firearms you own now and builds in the flexibility to adapt as Maryland's rules evolve.