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Maryland Hunting Laws

Maryland's deer rifle rule is performance-based: any rifle .30 caliber (7.62mm) or larger is legal for deer and black bear with no muzzle-energy floor, while smaller-caliber rifles must generate at least 1,200 ft-lb of muzzle energy — confirming the commonly-cited figure, but only as a threshold for sub-.30-caliber rifles. A ring of Central and Southern Maryland counties restrict rifles and handguns to straight-walled cartridges only; Western Maryland and the rest of the state use the standard rule. Maryland also caps deer-hunting magazines at 8 rounds and bans full-metal-jacket, incendiary, and tracer bullets.

Every rule below cites the official regulation. Last verified August 30, 2026.

At a glance

Wildlife agency
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Regulations year
2026
Coverage
Verified against primary sources
Verified rules on file
22
Rules pending review
1
Zones with special rules
1
Official regulations → Verify with Maryland Department of Natural Resources →

Check a cartridge in Maryland

Results update as you choose. Checks state + federal rules on file — not legal advice; always confirm in the current regulations.

Pick a state, species, and weapon — add a cartridge for a full check.

Local ordinances apply

Maryland's rifle/handgun cartridge rule itself varies by county under COMAR — a cluster of Central and Southern Maryland counties (the D.C./Baltimore suburbs and southern Maryland) restrict rifles and handguns to straight-walled cartridges only, while Western Maryland and the rest of the state allow standard bottleneck centerfire rifles. See the straight-wall-counties zone below. Incorporated towns may also impose their own firearm-discharge ordinances on top of the state hunting rules.

Special zones

Straight-Walled Cartridge Counties (Central & Southern Maryland)

In Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Charles, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, and Talbot counties — plus parts of Worcester County and Frederick County west of the Monocacy River — only straight-walled cartridge rifles and handguns (in addition to shotguns, muzzleloaders, and air guns) are legal for deer and black bear. Standard bottleneck centerfire rifles are not permitted there. Western Maryland (Garrett, Allegany, Washington) and the rest of the state use the standard statewide rule instead.

Source

Sourced rules

Every row cites the controlling regulation and the date we verified it.

Air Gun

4 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
White-tailed / Mule Deer Air guns used for deer/bear must fire a bullet or ball of at least .40 caliber.
"Air gun that: Propels one .40 caliber or greater bullet or ball at a single discharge which generates at least 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal air guns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
Black Bear Air guns used for deer/bear must fire a bullet or ball of at least .40 caliber.
"Air gun that: Propels one .40 caliber or greater bullet or ball at a single discharge which generates at least 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal air guns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Air-gun loads for deer/bear must generate at least 400 ft-lb of muzzle energy (arrow-firing air guns follow separate speed-based requirements).
"Air gun that: Propels one .40 caliber or greater bullet or ball at a single discharge which generates at least 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal air guns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
Black Bear Air-gun loads for deer/bear must generate at least 400 ft-lb of muzzle energy (arrow-firing air guns follow separate speed-based requirements).
"Air gun that: Propels one .40 caliber or greater bullet or ball at a single discharge which generates at least 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal air guns for deer/black bear Aug 2026

All weapons

4 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
White-tailed / Mule Deer Firearms used to hunt deer may not use a magazine or clip holding more than 8 cartridges.
"A person may not hunt deer with any firearm that uses an ammunition clip holding more than 8 cartridges or bullets."
 Md. Code, Natural Resources § 10-416 — Deer hunting: prohibited methods Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Electronic or recorded calls may not be used to hunt deer.
"Electronic calls are prohibited for the purpose of deer hunting."
 Maryland DNR — Other Deer Hunting Regulations Aug 2026
All species Hunters and companions in the field must wear fluorescent orange and/or pink (cap, 250-sq-in vest/jacket, or 50%-coverage camo garment). Exemptions apply to hunters of brant, coot, crow, dove, ducks, furbearers, geese, rails, snipe, and wild turkey, and most deer archery hunters outside specified counties/seasons.
"a vest or jacket containing back and front panels of at least 250 square inches of solid fluorescent orange and/or pink color"
 Maryland DNR — Fluorescent Orange and/or Pink Clothing Requirements Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Suppressors are widely reported by industry sources as legal to own and use while hunting in Maryland (no state hunting-methods statute or COMAR provision found that prohibits them), but a primary COMAR/DNR statement expressly authorizing suppressor use for recreational deer hunting could not be located and confirmed in this research pass. Pending — no COMAR provision or DNR page located during this research pass that expressly authorizes suppressor use while hunting Aug 2026 needs review

Handgun

6 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
White-tailed / Mule Deer Deer/bear handguns need a barrel of at least 6 inches.
"A handgun having a barrel length of 6 inches or longer and ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more is allowed."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal handguns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
Black Bear Deer/bear handguns need a barrel of at least 6 inches.
"A handgun having a barrel length of 6 inches or longer and ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more is allowed."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal handguns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Deer/bear handgun loads must produce at least 700 ft-lb of muzzle energy.
"A handgun having a barrel length of 6 inches or longer and ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more is allowed."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal handguns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
Black Bear Deer/bear handgun loads must produce at least 700 ft-lb of muzzle energy.
"A handgun having a barrel length of 6 inches or longer and ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more is allowed."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal handguns for deer/black bear Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Straight-Walled Cartridge Counties (Central & Southern Maryland) In these Central/Southern Maryland counties, only straight-walled cartridge rifles and handguns are legal for deer — standard bottleneck centerfire rifles are not permitted. Western Maryland and the rest of the state use the standard statewide rule instead.
"...a rifle or handgun employing a straight-walled cartridge, a shotgun, an air gun, a muzzle loading rifle, a muzzle loading shotgun, a muzzle loading handgun, or a muzzle loading revolver."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — straight-walled-cartridge counties Aug 2026
Black Bear Straight-Walled Cartridge Counties (Central & Southern Maryland) In these Central/Southern Maryland counties, only straight-walled cartridge rifles and handguns are legal for deer — standard bottleneck centerfire rifles are not permitted. Western Maryland and the rest of the state use the standard statewide rule instead.
"...a rifle or handgun employing a straight-walled cartridge, a shotgun, an air gun, a muzzle loading rifle, a muzzle loading shotgun, a muzzle loading handgun, or a muzzle loading revolver."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — straight-walled-cartridge counties Aug 2026

Muzzleloader

2 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
White-tailed / Mule Deer Muzzleloading rifles/shotguns for deer/bear must be at least .40 caliber and loaded with the equivalent of at least 60 grains of black powder; sabot loads are permitted. A single-shot muzzleloading handgun/revolver of at least .40 caliber with a 6-inch barrel, loaded with at least 40 grains equivalent, is also legal.
"Muzzle loading rifle or muzzle loading shotgun, not less than .40 caliber and using not less than the equivalent of 60 grains of black powder."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal muzzleloaders for deer/black bear Aug 2026
Black Bear Muzzleloading rifles/shotguns for deer/bear must be at least .40 caliber and loaded with the equivalent of at least 60 grains of black powder; sabot loads are permitted. A single-shot muzzleloading handgun/revolver of at least .40 caliber with a 6-inch barrel, loaded with at least 40 grains equivalent, is also legal.
"Muzzle loading rifle or muzzle loading shotgun, not less than .40 caliber and using not less than the equivalent of 60 grains of black powder."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal muzzleloaders for deer/black bear Aug 2026

Rifle

5 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
White-tailed / Mule Deer Deer/bear rifles smaller than .30 caliber (7.62mm) must generate at least 1,200 ft-lb of muzzle energy at the muzzle; rifles .30 caliber or larger have no minimum-energy requirement. This is the statewide default — see the straight-wall-counties zone for exceptions.
"Rifles less than .30 caliber or 7.62 millimeters must generate at least 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy when fired."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal rifles for deer/black bear (statewide default counties) Aug 2026
Black Bear Deer/bear rifles smaller than .30 caliber (7.62mm) must generate at least 1,200 ft-lb of muzzle energy at the muzzle; rifles .30 caliber or larger have no minimum-energy requirement. This is the statewide default — see the straight-wall-counties zone for exceptions.
"Rifles less than .30 caliber or 7.62 millimeters must generate at least 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy when fired."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — legal rifles for deer/black bear (statewide default counties) Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Deer bullets must be soft-nosed or expanding — full metal-jacket, incendiary, and tracer bullets are prohibited (expanding metal-jacketed bullets are allowed).
"A person may not use full metal-jacketed, incendiary, or tracer bullets in hunting deer in the State... [t]his subsection does not prohibit the use of metal-jacketed bullets designed to expand on impact."
 Md. Code, Natural Resources § 10-416 — Deer hunting: prohibited methods Aug 2026
White-tailed / Mule Deer Straight-Walled Cartridge Counties (Central & Southern Maryland) In these Central/Southern Maryland counties, only straight-walled cartridge rifles and handguns are legal for deer — standard bottleneck centerfire rifles are not permitted. Western Maryland and the rest of the state use the standard statewide rule instead.
"...a rifle or handgun employing a straight-walled cartridge, a shotgun, an air gun, a muzzle loading rifle, a muzzle loading shotgun, a muzzle loading handgun, or a muzzle loading revolver."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — straight-walled-cartridge counties Aug 2026
Black Bear Straight-Walled Cartridge Counties (Central & Southern Maryland) In these Central/Southern Maryland counties, only straight-walled cartridge rifles and handguns are legal for deer — standard bottleneck centerfire rifles are not permitted. Western Maryland and the rest of the state use the standard statewide rule instead.
"...a rifle or handgun employing a straight-walled cartridge, a shotgun, an air gun, a muzzle loading rifle, a muzzle loading shotgun, a muzzle loading handgun, or a muzzle loading revolver."
 COMAR 08.03.04.05 — straight-walled-cartridge counties Aug 2026

Shotgun

2 rules
Species Rule Citation Verified
Waterfowl Only approved nontoxic shot (no lead) may be used or possessed while hunting waterfowl and coots; nontoxic shot may not be larger than size T (0.20 inch).
"Non-toxic shot is required for hunting waterfowl and coots... A person may not use or possess any lead shot while hunting waterfowl and coots."
 Maryland DNR — Non-Toxic and Unlawful Shot Aug 2026
Wild Turkey Turkey shotgun loads may be no larger than shot size No. 4 (smaller shot such as #5–9 is legal). In the fall season, a solid single projectile (slug/sabot) is also legal. Recorded/electronic calls and motorized decoys are prohibited for turkey.
"shotgun shells loaded with shot size number 4 or smaller"
 COMAR 08.03.04.06 — Wild Turkey Hunting, legal shotgun ammunition Aug 2026

Federal rules that apply in every state

These federal requirements apply in Maryland on top of state law.

Federal law: only USFWS-approved nontoxic shot may be used — or even possessed — while hunting waterfowl, coots, and aggregate-bag species. 50 CFR § 20.21(j)(1)–(3)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds are limited to 3 shells total (magazine + chamber) with a one-piece plug; limited light-goose and September Canada goose season exceptions exist. 50 CFR § 20.21(b)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds may be no larger than 10 gauge. 50 CFR § 20.21(a)
Federal law prohibits taking migratory birds with a rifle, pistol, or fully automatic firearm. 50 CFR § 20.21(a)
On Waterfowl Production Areas and designated National Wildlife Refuge lands, possessing shot other than approved nontoxic shot is prohibited; individual refuges may impose stricter rules. 50 CFR § 32.2(k)

Sources

COMAR 08.03.04.05 — Devices for Hunting Deer and Black Bear Maryland Division of State Documents — Code of Maryland Regulations · retrieved August 30, 2026
COMAR 08.03.04.06 — Wild Turkey Hunting Maryland Division of State Documents — Code of Maryland Regulations · retrieved August 30, 2026
Maryland DNR — Fluorescent Orange and/or Pink Clothing Requirements Maryland Department of Natural Resources · retrieved August 30, 2026
Maryland DNR — Non-Toxic and Unlawful Shot Maryland Department of Natural Resources · retrieved August 30, 2026
Maryland DNR — Other Deer Hunting Regulations Maryland Department of Natural Resources · retrieved August 30, 2026
Md. Code, Natural Resources § 10-416 — Deer Hunting: Prohibited Methods Maryland General Assembly · retrieved August 30, 2026

Sources & methodology

Rules on this page are verified against state statutes, administrative code, official agency regulation digests, and federal regulations — never forums, retailer blogs, or hunter-ed course summaries. Rules we could not yet pin to a primary source are labeled needs review and never produce a green "legal" answer. Cartridge energy figures used by the checker are typical factory-load values; where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, verify your specific load's manufacturer rating.

Legal disclaimer — please read

This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Hunting regulations change every season, vary by zone, season, land type, and county ordinance, and are interpreted by the state's enforcement officers — not by this page.

  • Confirm every rule in the current official Maryland hunting regulations before your hunt.
  • Check season dates, license and tag requirements, zone boundaries, and local ordinances — this page covers equipment rules only.
  • When in doubt, contact Maryland Department of Natural Resources directly.

The controlling document is the regulation, not this page. We disclaim all liability for reliance on it.