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Maryland · Official sources · Reviewed August 14, 2026

Maryland written hunting permission requirements.

Maryland law broadly prohibits a person from coming to hunt on another person's land without written permission from the landowner, the landowner's agent, or the lessee. The DNR form is a documentation template, not the source of the legal rule.

This is a qualified summary, not legal advice or permission. Reopen the cited official sources, confirm their effective dates and current versions, and check the exact property, activity, species, method, date, and local rule before relying on any form.

Verified for this scope1 modeled rule2 official sourcesLinks checked August 14, 2026

Direct, qualified answer

Writing and permission are separate questions.

An official form can be mandatory, optional, embedded in a guide, or limited to one access program. Its existence alone does not establish a statewide written rule.

WRITTEN RECORD

General written-permission rule

Maryland law broadly prohibits a person from coming to hunt on another person's land without written permission from the landowner, the landowner's agent, or the lessee. The DNR form is a documentation template, not the source of the legal rule.

PERMISSION BASELINE

Owner permission broadly required

County rules and property-specific conditions may add restrictions; verify the current hunting and trapping guide for the intended activity.

Free request builder

Make the ask specific—and easy to answer.

Your name, contact, area, timing, and draft stay in this browser tab. Back40 Pass records privacy-aware page and tool activity; sharing or starting a request carries only state, game, and party from this builder.

Details you need to discuss

Your draft

Choose primary game and timing
Subject: Hunting permission request — [choose primary game], Maryland

Hello,

My name is [your name]. I am writing to ask whether you would consider discussing permission for 1 hunter to hunt [choose primary game] with archery in Maryland during [your requested dates].

I will not enter, scout, or hunt without your approval. If you are open to a conversation, I would like to confirm:
- who controls access: Do you control access for this property, or is there an authorized manager I should contact?
- every approved person and the exact dates
- the property boundary, entry, parking, and no-go areas
- permitted species, methods, and any property-specific limits
- check-in, gates, livestock, crops, guests, and equipment rules
- whether written permission or another state or local record is required
- the game-retrieval plan, including neighboring property

I understand the answer may be no, and I will respect it. Permission for one person, activity, or date would not be treated as permission for anyone else or another time.

You can reach me at [add your preferred contact before sending].

Thank you for considering the request,
[your name]

This is a request, not permission, a lease, or legal advice. Only an authorized person can approve access. Verify current state and local requirements before relying on any written record.

Applicability by rule

Match the hunt to the rule before choosing a form.

“General” below identifies the broadest modeled rule in this review. A rule is described as verified current only when the profile passes the evidence gate; pending rules are labeled with their future effective status.

Broadest verified current rule

Hunting on land owned by another

hunt

The statute is a general private-land hunting rule; other hunting, weapon, county, and property conditions still apply.

Who may authorize
landowner · landowner's agent · lessee
What satisfies it
Written permission
Carry
Carry requirement not stated in reviewed sources: Section 10-411(a) requires written permission but does not state that it must be carried.
Show on request
Not stated in the reviewed sources: Section 10-411(a) does not state a presentation-on-request requirement.
Validity
No separate validity period is stated in the modeled rule.
Covered land
land owned by another person
Jurisdiction
Maryland
Geography
statewide
Official sources for this rule

Official forms

Use the form only for the scope it actually covers.

Maryland DNR's current hunting hub labels a Permission to Hunt Card, but its linked legacy download redirected to the licensing portal when checked. No live form is encoded; §10-411 controls the legal scope.

No statewide official form was modeled for this scope.

Maryland DNR's current hunting hub labels a Permission to Hunt Card, but its linked legacy download redirected to the licensing portal when checked. No live form is encoded; §10-411 controls the legal scope.

Private printable courtesy record

Put the agreed people, place, and dates on one page.

Entries stay in this browser tab and are not sent to Back40 Pass. Use an official state form whenever one is provided or required. This courtesy record does not determine legal sufficiency.

Courtesy record · Not a universal legal form

Private-land hunting permission record

State
Maryland
Authorized person
[authorized owner or rights holder]
Hunter / party lead
[hunter name]
Property
[property description or attached map]
Dates
2026-10-12 through [end date]
Game
Whitetail deer
Party
1 named person
Method / activity
[lawful method to be confirmed]
Rules
See attached property map and rules; no additional rights are implied.

The authorized person and hunter should confirm that this record accurately describes the limited permission actually granted. No access outside the named people, property, dates, activities, map, or rules is implied. Permission may be subject to current law and may be revoked according to applicable terms and law.

Authorized signature / dateHunter signature / date

Add the state, parties, property, and date range to print.

Claim-level source ledger

Read each cited official source, not just this summary.

Superseded material may appear only as labeled context and never supports a current or future modeled claim.

01 · statute · current

Natural Resources §10-411

Maryland General Assembly · Md. Code, Natural Resources §10-411(a)

Open official source
02 · agency guide · current

Hunting and Trapping in Maryland

Maryland Department of Natural Resources · Hunting & Trapping in Maryland > Permission to Hunt Card (Private Lands) and current-guide links

Edition: 2026-2027

Open official source

Complete the chain

Identify the property, verify authority, then record the actual permission.

A tax record, request, conversation, form draft, or Back40 Pass response is never permission by itself.