September 4, 2024
In a blatant defiance of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, the Fourth Circuit Court has upheld Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License (HQL) law, which requires citizens to obtain a permit simply to purchase a firearm.
This ruling, handed down by a more liberal-leaning court, goes far beyond the original scope of Bruen, which struck down laws requiring permits to carry handguns, and instead imposes a government-controlled registry of every gun and gun owner in the state.
The Bruen decision, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas in 2022, was a monumental victory for gun rights advocates, establishing that any law restricting gun ownership must align with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
The ruling struck down “may-issue” laws, which required individuals to prove a specific need to carry a handgun in public, affirming that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to carry firearms without excessive government interference.
However, Maryland’s HQL law takes this a step further by requiring law-abiding citizens to jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops—four hours of training, live-fire testing, fingerprinting, and a waiting period—just to purchase a handgun. In essence, this law functions as a de facto registry, tracking every gun owner and their firearms through state control, an undeniable infringement on the Second Amendment.
The Fourth Circuit’s ruling is not only a defiance of Bruen, but it also sets a dangerous precedent. By allowing states to require permits simply to purchase a firearm, it opens the door for widespread gun registries—an outcome that is not only unconstitutional but also unthinkable to the Founding Fathers, who fought against government overreach.
“The Fourth Circuit is clearly disregarding the Bruen decision and the Second Amendment,” said Texas Gun Rights President Chris McNutt. “This permit-to-purchase law serves as nothing more than a state-controlled gun registry, and it’s an affront to the freedoms our Founding Fathers intended for us. Texas Gun Rights will continue to fight these rulings and ensure that the rights of gun owners are fully restored.”
Maryland’s HQL law is a prime example of how the left continues to undermine Bruen and chip away at the Second Amendment. For anti-gun politicians, permit systems like this are a dream—allowing them to collect data on every gun and gun owner, while imposing lengthy delays and barriers that could discourage law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional rights.
The Fourth Circuit’s decision is a reminder that the fight for gun rights is far from over. With liberal courts determined to undo the progress made by Bruen, gun rights organizations like Texas Gun Rights are more important than ever in defending the freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
Support Texas Gun Rights as we continue to fight for your freedoms and ensure the Second Amendment is restored to its full strength.
