Md. Code Regs. 12.10.04.08

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 25, December 13, 2024

Section 12.10.04.08 - Annual Firearms Classroom Instruction, Training, and Qualification Requirements

A. General Requirements - All Firearms.

(1) During each calendar year, a firearms qualified employee shall successfully complete the following:

(a) Classroom instruction for each firearm type that the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry;

(b) Firearms training for each firearm that the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry; and

(c) Firearms qualification for each firearm that the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry.

(2) Annual Firearms Classroom Instruction.

(a) A firearms qualified employee shall complete a minimum of two hours of firearms classroom instruction as part of the requirements established under this regulation.

(b) Firearms classroom instruction shall include the classroom instruction topics marked with an "X" under Annual Firearms Training in the table under Regulation .10B of this chapter.

(c) The Commission may accept up to 2 hours of a firearms qualified employee's annual firearms classroom instruction as part of a firearms qualified employee's annual in-service training required under COMAR 12.10.01.

B. Annual Firearms Training and Qualification Requirements " Handgun.

(1) Required Firearms Training - Handgun.

(a) A firearms qualified employee shall annually discharge a minimum of 30 rounds of ammunition approved by the firearms qualified employee's employing agency, or the ballistic equivalent, for training with the handgun designated by the firearms qualified employee's employer for the employee to use or carry.

(b) Training drills to improve the firearms qualified employee's skills may be incorporated into a course of fire.

(c) Training may not include practicing the actual course of fire used for firearms qualification.

(2) Course of Fire for Qualification - Handgun.

(a) For each handgun a firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry, with one finger on the trigger the firearms qualified employee shall discharge a minimum of 30 rounds of ammunition using ammunition authorized by the firearms qualified employee's employer, or the ballistic equivalent, on each of the following:

(i) One day-fire course of fire; and

(ii) One reduced light course of fire.

(b) Firearms qualified employee annual course of fire for qualification consists of requirements 3-10 in the Course of Fire Requirements for Handgun table under Regulation .05 of this chapter.

(c) A minimum score of 70 percent is required on both a day-fire and a reduced light course of fire for qualification for each handgun for which annual certification renewal is required for a firearms qualified employee by COMAR 12.10.01.

C. Annual Firearms Training and Qualification Requirements - Long Gun.

(1) Firearms training for each long gun a firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry consists of demonstrations to familiarize a firearms qualified employee with the nomenclature, operation, safety, care, and cleaning of the specific long gun type.

(2) Course of Fire for Annual Long Gun Qualification.

(a) During each calendar year, a firearms qualified employee authorized to use or carry a specific type of long gun shall successfully complete the course of fire requirements for qualification for the specific long gun, as described in this subsection.

(b) Type 1 Long Gun Qualification. Annual firearms qualification requires a firearms qualified employee to successfully complete four courses of fire for qualification, one during each quarter of a calendar year, for the specific type of long gun the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry according to the requirements established in the Course of Fire Requirements for Long Gun Qualification table under Regulation .07 of this chapter.

(c) Type 2 and Type 3 Long Gun Qualification. Annual firearms qualification requires a firearms qualified employee to successfully complete two courses of fire for qualification, one during each half of the calendar year, for the specific type of long gun the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry according to the requirements established in the Course of Fire Requirements for Long Gun Qualification table under Regulation .07 of this chapter.

(d) Type 4 Long Gun Qualification. Annual firearms qualification requires a firearms qualified employee to successfully complete one course of fire for qualification, each calendar year, for the specific type of long gun the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry according to the requirements established in the table under Regulation .07A of this chapter.

D. Reporting Firearm Qualification Scores to the Commission. By January 31 of the calendar year immediately following firearms qualification, the employer of a firearms qualified employee shall submit to the Commission the firearms qualified employee's required firearms qualification score for each firearm the firearms qualified employee is authorized to use or carry.

E. Failure to Meet Commission Annual Firearms Classroom Instruction, Training, and Qualification Requirements.

(1) If a firearms qualified employee fails to successfully complete Commission annual firearms classroom instruction, training, and qualification requirements for an authorized firearm within a calendar year, the firearms qualified employee's employer:

(a) Shall remove the firearm, or authorization to use or carry the firearm if personally owned, from the firearms qualified employee by January 1 of the next calendar year; and

(b) May not return the firearm to or authorize the firearms qualified employee to use or carry a firearm until the employee successfully completes the appropriate firearms classroom instruction, training, and qualification required under this chapter.

(2) Failure to Qualify with a Firearm.

(a) A firearms qualified employee who fails an annual firearms qualification required under Regulation .08 of this chapter shall successfully complete qualification within:

(i) 30 consecutive calendar days of the initial attempt; and

(ii) The same calendar year as the initial attempt.

(b) If a firearms qualified employee does not successfully meet qualification requirements within the period established under §E(2)(a) of this regulation, the firearms qualified employee's employer shall immediately:

(i) Report to the Commission the firearms qualified employee's failure to qualify;

(ii) Require the firearms qualified employee to surrender the firearm to the employer, if it was issued by the employer; and

(iii) Withdraw the firearms qualified employee's authority to use or carry the firearm for which the employee has not successfully met the qualification requirements.

(3) A firearms qualified employee may not use or carry a firearm that has been surrendered or for which authority to carry or use has been withdrawn, except during supervised training to meet the firearms qualified employee's annual firearms training and qualification for the firearm required under this regulation.

Md. Code Regs. 12.10.04.08

Regulations .08 adopted effective July 1, 2001 (28:12 Md. R. 1111)
Regulations .08 adopted effective January 1, 2013 (39:16 Md. R.1081)