Maryland Gun Rules Stay the Same After New ATF Guidance

State of MD - The Maryland State Police (MSP) wants gun owners to know that new federal guidance does not change the rules in Maryland. The guidance deals with certain firearms covered by a federal law called the National Firearms Act (NFA).

On October 9, 2026, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) put out an open letter with updated guidance on how NFA firearms are made and transferred. The NFA is a federal law that puts extra rules on certain types of guns. Two of those are short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns, which are rifles and shotguns with a barrel shorter than federal law allows.

MSP looked over the ATF letter and says Maryland's requirements for these firearms are still in place. The ATF letter itself says that a federal court order and the ATF's enforcement policy do not affect state or local laws on NFA firearms.

Maryland law is clear on this point. Maryland Public Safety § 5-203 says a person may not possess a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun unless it "has been registered with the federal government in accordance with federal law."

The same law also says that if someone is taken to court over one of these firearms, it is up to that person to prove it was legally registered. In other words, the gun owner has to show the paperwork.

Anyone in Maryland who wants to make, buy, or transfer a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun still has to follow both federal and state rules. The first step is sending the right federal NFA application to the ATF. That is ATF Form 1 or Form 4, depending on the situation.

The ATF has to approve that application before anything else can happen. Only after approval can a person move on to federal Form 4473, which is the federal background check form, and Maryland's 77R process.

MSP says the ATF's new guidance does not remove or override any of Maryland's requirements. Gun owners and buyers should keep following the same steps they did before.

Anyone with questions can contact the MSP Licensing Division by email at msp.firearmsregistration@maryland.gov. Regulated Firearms Dealers can reach MSP through the LiveHelp feature inside the Licensing Portal.