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State Legality MatrixUnfinished Frames & Ghost GunsMaryland

Are Ghost Guns and 80% Lowers Legal in Maryland?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-08-18

Status
Restricted
Effective
2023-03-01
Verified
2026-08-18

Restricted

Restricted. Unfinished-frame transfers depend on federal firearm status, while a completed private-made firearm must be marked by a federal licensee and registered with Maryland State Police. Effective 2023-03-01.

Controlling law: Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 5-703

Contested entry

Litigation Status and Details

Subsection (a)(1) allows purchase, receipt, sale, or transfer of an unfinished frame only when federal law requires it to be serialized and it has been serialized by a licensed manufacturer or importer. Defense Distributed v. Blanche therefore unsettles that transfer clause for protected parties. The completed-firearm rule is independent: a private-made firearm must carry the prescribed FFL-applied mark and be registered with the Secretary.

Federal law

Federal baseline

Federal law does not prohibit making a firearm for personal use, but prohibited-person, detectable-firearm, and unlicensed manufacturing-for-sale rules still apply. On August 17, 2026, Defense Distributed v. Blanche held 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.11 and 478.12(c) unconstitutional, but the judgment did not vacate those regulations and its declaratory and injunctive relief is party-scoped. Buyers outside the protected parties remain subject to the 2022 federal frame-or-receiver rule while litigation continues; state serialization, transfer, possession, and manufacturing laws apply independently.

Federal baseline verified 2026-08-18. Scope: Unfinished firearm frames and receivers, including products marketed as 80% lowers or pistol-frame blanks, plus firearms privately made without a serial number. Serialized stripped receivers transferred as firearms are outside this class's unfinished/unserialized restrictions.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Are ghost guns and 80% lowers legal in Maryland?

Restricted. Unfinished-frame transfers depend on federal firearm status, while a completed private-made firearm must be marked by a federal licensee and registered with Maryland State Police. Effective 2023-03-01. Controlling law: Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 5-703.

What law covers unfinished frames and unserialized firearms in Maryland?

The controlling law is Md. Code, Pub. Safety § 5-703. Unfinished-frame transfers depend on federal firearm status, while a completed private-made firearm must be marked by a federal licensee and registered with Maryland State Police.

When did Maryland's unfinished frame or unserialized firearm restriction take effect?

Maryland's rule took effect 2023-03-01. Subsection (a)(1) allows purchase, receipt, sale, or transfer of an unfinished frame only when federal law requires it to be serialized and it has been serialized by a licensed manufacturer or importer. Defense Distributed v. Blanche therefore unsettles that transfer clause for protected parties. The completed-firearm rule is independent: a private-made firearm must carry the prescribed FFL-applied mark and be registered with the Secretary.

Are 80% lowers and self-built firearms legal under federal law?

Federal law does not prohibit making a firearm for personal use, but prohibited-person, detectable-firearm, and unlicensed manufacturing-for-sale rules still apply. On August 17, 2026, Defense Distributed v. Blanche held 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.11 and 478.12(c) unconstitutional, but the judgment did not vacate those regulations and its declaratory and injunctive relief is party-scoped. Buyers outside the protected parties remain subject to the 2022 federal frame-or-receiver rule while litigation continues; state serialization, transfer, possession, and manufacturing laws apply independently.

What to buy

Use a Serialized Stripped Lower Instead

In a restricted state, start with a factory-completed lower carrying the manufacturer's serial number and complete the required dealer transfer. These are serialized receivers, not unfinished 80% lowers, pistol-frame blanks, or do-it-yourself receiver kits.

Aero Precision M5 Stripped Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $170

Aero Precision M5 Stripped Lower Receiver

  • 7075-T6 forged aluminum
  • DPMS Gen 1 / Aero M5 receiver path
$170.00 Catalog
Shop at MidwayUSA
PSA Sabre-15 Ambi Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $99.99

PSA Sabre-15 Ambi Lower Receiver

  • Stripped AR-15 lower receiver
  • 7075-T6 aluminum
$99.99 Catalog
Shop at PSA
Geissele Super Duty Stripped Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $175

Geissele Super Duty Stripped Lower Receiver

  • 7075-T6 forged aluminum
  • Standard mil-spec controls
$175.00 Catalog
Shop at Classic Firearms
USMGM MG-15E Stripped Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $325

USMGM MG-15E Stripped Lower Receiver

  • Billet 7075 aluminum, 9.3 oz
  • SAEBR symmetrical ambi bolt catch and release
$325.00 Catalog
Buy Direct from USMGM
KE Arms KP-15 Polymer Stripped Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $80

KE Arms KP-15 Polymer Stripped Lower Receiver

  • 30% glass-filled nylon, injection-molded
  • Integral stock, buffer tube, grip, and trigger guard
$80.00 Catalog
Shop at KE Arms
FN 15 Military Collector M4 Stripped Lower Receiver
Lower Receivers • $130

FN 15 Military Collector M4 Stripped Lower Receiver

  • 7075-T6 forged, machined and broached to mil-spec
  • FN M4 military-production roll markings
$129.99
Shop at KYGUNCO

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