ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Sensitive Places & Schools Defense | Haskell & Dyer
A Valid Permit Does Not Cover Everywhere. The Wrong Place Is Its Own Charge.
Maryland bars firearms in many locations, including schools and other sensitive places, even for permit holders. Carrying into the wrong place, sometimes without realizing it, is its own charge, and we defend it.
If You're a Permit Holder
A permit is not a pass into every location.
Maryland's list of sensitive places expanded, and a lawful permit holder can still be charged for carrying into a restricted location. Do not assume your permit covers where you were. Stay quiet about it, ask for a lawyer, and call before you explain anything.
Where the Charge Comes From
The Permit Covers the Right, Not the Place
These cases are not about whether you could carry, but where. A permit grants the right to carry, and the sensitive-places rules carve out where that right does not reach.
The Location
Was It Actually a Restricted Place?
The charge depends on the location qualifying as a school zone or other sensitive place under the statute. The exact boundaries, and whether where you were truly falls inside them, are often closer questions than they first appear.
The Knowledge
Did You Know You Were There Armed?
Many of these situations are unintentional, a permit holder who did not realize a location was restricted, or that a boundary had been crossed. Your knowledge and intent are part of the defense, not a given.
What We Handle
Common Sensitive Place Charges
Maryland restricts firearms across a range of locations. We defend charges arising in each.
Firearm on school property
Firearm in a school zone
Carrying in a sensitive place
Government building restrictions
Permit holder location violations
Firearm near a restricted site
Posted private property carry
Public gathering restrictions
What's at Stake
A Location Mistake With Real Consequences
Even an unintentional violation can carry serious penalties and put your permit at risk.
Jail
Possible incarceration depending on the location
Permit
Risk to your wear and carry permit
Record
A weapons offense on background checks
Felony
Heightened exposure for school locations
How We Defend a Sensitive Place Charge
These cases turn on the location, your knowledge, and how the firearm was discovered. We press all three.
We Test the Location
Whether the place actually qualifies as a restricted sensitive place, and whether you were truly inside its boundary, is often genuinely arguable.
We Raise the Lack of Intent
Many of these violations are accidental. We put your knowledge and the circumstances in front of the court, because intent matters.
We Examine the Permit
The post-Bruen rules are evolving and contested. We look closely at how the current law applies to a lawful permit holder in your situation.
We Move to Suppress
If the firearm was found through an unlawful stop or search, we move to exclude it, which can take down the charge.
Common Questions
Sensitive Places & Schools, Answered
I have a carry permit. How can I be charged for where I went?
A permit grants the right to carry, but Maryland law still bars firearms in certain sensitive places, including schools, even for permit holders. So a lawful permit and a location violation are two different things. Whether the place actually qualifies, and whether your permit reached it, are exactly the questions we examine.
I didn't realize the location was restricted. Does that matter?
It can. Many of these violations are unintentional, someone who did not know a place was off-limits or that a boundary had been crossed. Your knowledge and intent are relevant to the defense, and an honest, accidental entry into a restricted area is a very different case than a deliberate one.
What counts as a "sensitive place" in Maryland?
Maryland's list expanded and includes schools and a range of other locations, and the boundaries are specific. Because the statute and recent litigation continue to shape what qualifies and how far each restriction reaches, whether a given spot is truly a sensitive place is sometimes a real legal question rather than a settled one.
How serious is a firearm on school property charge?
School-related firearm charges are treated with particular seriousness and can carry heightened penalties compared with other location violations. That makes an early, careful defense important, examining whether the location and boundary requirements are met and whether the discovery of the firearm was lawful.
Could this charge cost me my permit?
It can put your permit at risk, on top of the criminal exposure. That is one more reason these cases are worth defending fully rather than treating as a minor matter. Protecting your record and your ability to carry going forward is part of how we approach the defense.
Charged for Carrying in the Wrong Place? Permit Holders Have Defenses.
Whether the location qualifies, whether you knew, and whether the search was lawful all matter. Tell us what happened and get an honest read on your defense. The first conversation is free.
Arrested after hours? Call our 24/7 line: 240-687-0179
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC
Fax: 301-627-5848
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