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En Banc Fourth Circuit Upholds Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Challenge.

Friday, August 23, 2024

En Banc Fourth Circuit Upholds Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Challenge.

Today, the en banc Fourth Circuit upheld Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License (HQL) requirement in Maryland Shall Issue v. Moore, an NRA-supported case.

To acquire a handgun in Maryland, one must first obtain an HQL. Obtaining an HQL requires taking a four-hour class with classroom and live-fire components, which costs several hundred dollars; undergoing a background check that includes submitting a complete set of fingerprints, which the individual must pay for; paying a $50 application fee; and then waiting up to 30 days for the state to process the application. But obtaining the HQL still does not allow one to purchase a handgun. The individual must then undergo an additional background check, wait seven business days, and pass a NICS check before acquiring the firearm.

In November 2023, a 3-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit held the HQL requirement unconstitutional. But the court then vacated that opinion and agreed to rehear the case en banc.

In today’s opinion, the en banc court upheld the HQL requirement. The court held that the HQL requirement does not even implicate the Second Amendment because it is a type of “shall-issue” licensing law, and such a law only “infringes” the right to keep and bear arms if it “effectively denies” the right. The court then determined that a delay of the right does not completely deny the right, and therefore the HQL requirement does not infringe—or even implicate—the right to keep and bear arms.

The plaintiffs will now consider whether to petition the Supreme Court to hear the case.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights.

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Michigan: Final Push to Limit Gun Rights as Session Clock Runs Down

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Michigan: Final Push to Limit Gun Rights as Session Clock Runs Down

With only a few days left in the session, anti-gun legislators are doing everything they can to pass additional legislation restricting the Second Amendment rights of Michigan citizens. The legislation below could be taken up ...

Concealed Carry Permit, Gun Sale Numbers Stay Strong in 2024

News  

Monday, December 16, 2024

Concealed Carry Permit, Gun Sale Numbers Stay Strong in 2024

The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) has released the latest in its series of annual reports on trends in concealed carry permits in America.

Here We Go Again: Anti-gun States Simultaneously Sue Law-Abiding Gunmaker

News  

Friday, December 13, 2024

Here We Go Again: Anti-gun States Simultaneously Sue Law-Abiding Gunmaker

Last week, the anti-gun attorneys general of Minnesota and New Jersey filed nearly simultaneous lawsuits against firearm maker Glock, essentially claiming the company was violating the laws of those states by making guns that are too easy to illegally ...

Maine: Prepare for Progressives to Attack Your Hunting Rights

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Maine: Prepare for Progressives to Attack Your Hunting Rights

While 2024 may be winding down now, the 2025 legislative session is about to heat up, and radical anti-gun progressive politicians are already planning new ways to strip you of your fundamental rights.  

Gun Control Activists Cite “Loopholes” in CEO’s Murder, Ignore Facts and Law

News  

Monday, December 16, 2024

Gun Control Activists Cite “Loopholes” in CEO’s Murder, Ignore Facts and Law

Predictably, gun control activists are citing the cold-blooded Manhattan murder of health insurance executive Brian Thompson to call for more gun control, particularly in the hot-button areas of “ghost guns” and “3D printed firearms.” 

NYC Subway More Dangerous Than the Gridiron?

News  

Monday, December 16, 2024

NYC Subway More Dangerous Than the Gridiron?

Violent crime in New York City has been a growing concern over the last few years.  

Michigan: Take Action Against Anti-Gun Legislation TODAY!

Friday, December 13, 2024

Michigan: Take Action Against Anti-Gun Legislation TODAY!

With lame duck session in full swing, Michigan Democrats are doing everything they can to pass additional anti-gun legislation. Last night, the Senate passed, among other things, legislation that would restrict home-built firearms and ban ...

Canada Announces New Gun Bans, More Gun Control on the Horizon

News  

Monday, December 9, 2024

Canada Announces New Gun Bans, More Gun Control on the Horizon

On December 5, at a late afternoon press conference in Ottawa, Canada’s federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced that 324 additional makes and variants of rifles would be added to the 2020 list of ...

Hunter Biden Pardon Makes a Fitting Mockery of Federal Gun Control

News  

Monday, December 9, 2024

Hunter Biden Pardon Makes a Fitting Mockery of Federal Gun Control

NRA-ILA routinely points out that it is more informative to watch anti-gun politicians and officials’ behavior than to listen to the platitudes they spew about enacting gun control to protect the public. 

Michigan: Anti-Gun Legislation Passed in the Middle of the Night Heads To Governor’s Desk

Friday, December 20, 2024

Michigan: Anti-Gun Legislation Passed in the Middle of the Night Heads To Governor’s Desk

With the sun setting on the 2023-2024 legislative session, yesterday the Michigan Senate held a marathon session lasting over 24 hours. While citizens were sleeping, anti-gun lawmakers were able to pass two pieces of legislation, ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.