Maryland Wear & Carry
$300 · 16 hours
For first-time permit applicants. Learn firearm safety, Maryland carry responsibilities, situational awareness and personal and home-defense planning, with instructor-led classroom and range instruction.
Private citizen training · Easton, MarylandCarry with confidence.
Carry with confidence.
Prepare with purpose.
Choosing to carry a firearm brings responsibilities that reach into everyday life. SSEI connects Maryland Wear and Carry training with situational awareness, sound judgment and practical planning for you and your household.
Led by Troy Blades, Maryland State Police Qualified Handgun Instructor. Verify with MSP ↗ (search Blades).
Clear prices. Practical preparation.
Choose your course.
Wear & Carry renewal
$150 · 8 hours
Refresh your knowledge of Maryland requirements, safe handling and responsible carry. Bring questions from your experience and complete the required training and qualification.
Location: Classroom in Easton, Maryland; range approximately six minutes outside town.
Included: No additional range, firearm rental or ammunition fees.
Complete Maryland Wear & Carry training and you do not need a separate HQL class. If you need an HQL and have not completed qualifying Wear & Carry training, you must complete the four-hour HQL course unless you qualify for a training exemption listed below. The HQL and Wear & Carry permit have separate application requirements.
On the calendarClosed group · Registration unavailable
Upcoming SSEI training.
Private Maryland Wear & Carry course
One 16-hour course over three sessions. These dates are reserved for a private group and are not open for public registration.
- · 5:30–9:30 p.m.
- · 5:30–9:30 p.m.
- · 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
All times Eastern. Classroom: Easton, Maryland; range approximately six minutes outside town.
Private classes are available for groups. To request your own class or the next public opening, use SSEI’s USCCA profile. Public registration is not currently open for the dates above.
Request a class on USCCA ↗Preparation for everyday life
Notice
Avoid
Understand
Build
Good decisions begin before a crisis.
A useful class connects knowledge to the choices you may face: noticing a concern, avoiding an unnecessary confrontation, understanding your responsibilities and knowing when to get help. Firearm safety belongs within that bigger picture.
Situational awareness
Build the habit of paying attention to your surroundings, recognizing changes and checking assumptions. Discuss how distraction and stress affect decisions, without treating every unfamiliar person as a threat.
The value: more deliberate choices about where you go, what you notice and when to leave.
Communication & de-escalation
Consider how words, attitude and a willingness to disengage can keep an everyday disagreement from becoming something more serious. Personal protection includes knowing when not to become involved.
The value: a stronger focus on avoidance, distance from conflict and getting appropriate help.
Carry responsibilities
Connect safe ownership with the legal responsibilities addressed in your course. Bring questions about permit requirements, applicable restrictions, secure storage and the consequences of personal-defense decisions.
The value: knowing what needs to be understood and verified before you carry.
Firearm safety foundations
Develop safe handling habits through qualified, instructor-led training. Required classroom and range components are explained for the course you select, with attention to your starting experience and areas needing further practice.
The value: clear feedback and a realistic next step for continued learning.
The SSEI class experience
Understand the reason behind the responsibility.
Questions belong in the classroom.
Training should give you room to ask, clarify and connect the material to your own circumstances. Whether you are new to firearms or returning for a renewal, the goal is understanding you can carry forward.
Experience connected to ordinary decisions.
SSEI’s broader work in security consulting, investigations and preparedness brings a prevention-focused perspective to personal protection. Awareness, communication and planning stay part of the conversation.
Know what comes next.
A class is one step in developing responsible habits. Understand the completion requirements, recognize where you need more instruction and make a plan to keep learning.
Home & family preparedness
Build a plan your household understands.
Personal protection includes everyday prevention: secure storage, household communication and knowing how to request help. Home-defense education is an opportunity to discuss those responsibilities together.
Make safety a shared responsibility.
Discuss firearm access and secure storage, including the needs of children and visitors. Identify questions that deserve qualified instruction before making changes at home.
Connect people and plans.
Consider how family members will communicate during an emergency, contact emergency services and account for one another. Review the plan as your household changes.
SSEI brings awareness, prevention and household preparedness into the personal-protection conversation so learning continues beyond the classroom.
Maryland requirements
Know what you need before you enroll.
What is the Wear & Carry qualification standard?
For civilian applicants outside the designated security-personnel categories, MSP requires a Basic Practical Handgun Course of at least 25 rounds, at distances no greater than 15 yards, with at least 70% accuracy. This is the Wear & Carry proficiency standard, not a description of the standalone HQL course.
Who is exempt from Wear & Carry training?
MSP lists qualifying active or retired law-enforcement officers; active, retired or honorably discharged U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard members; MSP-registered Qualified Handgun Instructors; and applicants with qualifying prior instructor-led training. Prior training does not mean every earlier firearms class satisfies a current application or renewal.
Exemptions from firearms safety training requirements
Persons who are required to possess an HQL do not require the firearms safety training if they meet any of the following:
- You completed a Maryland State Police (MSP) approved firearms safety course.
- You successfully finished a hunter safety course that complies with §10-301.1 of the Natural Resources Article.
- You are currently a qualified handgun instructor.
- You are an honorably discharged member of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard.
- You work for an armored car company and have a handgun permit issued by MSP.
- You lawfully own a regulated firearm.
Check with MSP before relying on an exemption. Requirements can change. Review the current Maryland State Police HQL requirements ↗ to confirm your eligibility and required documentation. A training exemption does not by itself exempt you from obtaining an HQL.
Where is carrying prohibited, even with a permit?
A permit does not authorize carrying everywhere. Location restrictions and court orders can affect what applies. Use MSP’s current prohibited-places page to review restrictions and the exceptions or litigation notes that accompany them.
I am new to firearms. Is this for me?
The initial Wear & Carry course welcomes beginners. SSEI explains safety expectations and course preparation, gives you room to ask questions, and helps you identify what needs further practice.
How do I register or arrange a private class?
Use SSEI’s USCCA profile for class requests and registration. Closed-group dates are displayed for information only. When public enrollment opens, its course listing will provide the registration details.
Request a class on USCCA ↗Requirements checked October 11, 2026. MSP determines eligibility, exemptions and permit approval; course completion does not guarantee a permit. Your booking confirmation provides the exact address, preparation instructions and session arrangements. Consult current MSP guidance for legal requirements.
Ready for your next step?
Choose training with a purpose.
Tell us where you are starting and what you want to be better prepared for. SSEI will help you find the right next step.
All SSEI training options → · Free firearms safety & planning tools →