Maryland's handgun law which requires applicants for a permit to carry a handgun should have a substantial reason is constitutional.  A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth District reversed a March 2012 district court ruling which pronounced that "the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense extends outside the home," and that "such right is impermissibly burdened by Maryland's good-and-substantial-reason requirement."  Fourth Circuit Judge Robert King in his opinion said the good-and-substantial-reason requirement “is reasonably adapted to Maryland's significant interests in protecting public safety and preventing crime.”

Read the Court's Opinion