WASHINGTON — Beginning next month, Maryland residents can apply to purchase handguns and other regulated firearms online instead of filling out paper forms.
Maryland State Police said that moving away from pen and paper will streamline the process.
The online process will be available on computers, tablets and mobile devices.
Before the digital switch, people who wanted to purchase regulated firearms in Maryland have had to fill out paperwork by hand and submit it to to a firearms dealer or a Maryland State Police barracks. The paperwork was then forwarded to the state police licensing division which conducts background checks.
Applicants using the new online process will need an email address and a credit or debit card to pay the $10 application fee.
Maryland State Police said the goal of the new online system is to “increase the ease and efficiency of purchasing a regulated firearm in Maryland.” The online process also aims to eliminate “legibility issues” with handwritten forms and decrease data processing errors.
The online process does not change the seven-day waiting period or the way background checks are carried out.
Maryland State Police said it has tested the new online system and has conducted training seminars with more than 300 dealers throughout Maryland.
