State Legality MatrixForced Reset TriggersMaryland
Statute-cited, not legal advice, last verified 2026-10-20
Banned
No. Prohibited as a rapid fire activator. Effective 2018-10-01.
Controlling law: Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 4-301(m) (definition) & 4-305.1
Contested entry
Bans transport into the state, manufacture, possession, sale, offer for sale, transfer, purchase, and receipt; a narrow pre-October-2018 grandfather with ATF-authorization conditions exists, but there is no new lawful acquisition path. The definition excludes a semiautomatic replacement trigger that improves performance and functionality over the stock trigger.
The statute in practice
Maryland Criminal Law section 4-301(m) defines a rapid fire activator as any device, including a removable manual or power-driven activating device, constructed so that when installed in or attached to a firearm the rate at which the trigger is activated increases or the rate of fire increases. The definition excludes a semiautomatic replacement trigger that improves the performance and functionality over the stock trigger.
Section 4-305.1 applies the related restrictions to devices meeting that definition.
Timeline
What it means for you
The statute reaches transport into Maryland, manufacture, possession, sale, offer for sale, transfer, purchase, and receipt. Its legacy-possession exception requires possession and an ATF authorization application before October 1, 2018, ATF authorization before October 1, 2019, and continued federal compliance.
Federal law
Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.
Federal baseline verified 2026-10-20. Scope: Forced reset triggers (Rare Breed FRT-15, Dairyland Defender, and similar) and forced-reset selectors (AR Super Safety, ARC-Fire). One round per trigger function. Binary triggers are a separate class.
Common questions
No. Prohibited as a rapid fire activator. Effective 2018-10-01. Controlling law: Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 4-301(m) (definition) & 4-305.1.
The controlling law is Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 4-301(m) (definition) & 4-305.1. Prohibited as a rapid fire activator.
Maryland's rule took effect 2018-10-01. Bans transport into the state, manufacture, possession, sale, offer for sale, transfer, purchase, and receipt; a narrow pre-October-2018 grandfather with ATF-authorization conditions exists, but there is no new lawful acquisition path. The definition excludes a semiautomatic replacement trigger that improves performance and functionality over the stock trigger.