L.E.O.S.A. (HR 218)
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act for 2004 (Federal Right to Carry)
H.R. 218
S.1132 Amending HR218 (in 2010)
Frequently Asked Questions About L.E.O.S.A.
HB1032 Carrying Weapons on School Property-Retired Officers
National FOP Retired Law Enforcement Concealed Carry Coverage
LEOSA Requirements
- Retired in good standing from the agency as a law enforcement officer, other than for reasons of mental instability. He or she must have had 10 years or more of active service or retired with a service-connected disability. A person retiring as the result of a service-connected disability must have completed his or her probationary period.
- Retiree has a non-forfeitable right to benefits under the retirement plan of the agency.
- During the most recent 12-month period, he or she has met, at the expense of the individual, the State’s standards for the training and qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry firearms.
- Retiree is not under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating or hallucinatory drug or substance, including prescription drugs or any drug which may impair the retiree’s ability to qualify at the BCoPD range.
- Retiree is not prohibited by Federal law to possess a firearm.
Retiree Requirements
Retiree requirements include:
- Submitting a completed Retiree Certification Form (RCF) to the County’s LEOSA Coordinator
- Submitting to a background check
- Presenting a current Departmental retiree photo identification card to the range
- Completing a Range Liability Waiver
- Attending a five-hour training session, which includes classroom and qualification courses
Certification Program
Retirees who attend the certification program will be able to qualify:
- On the type of weapon that he or she was initially trained with or converted to by the Department
- With a weapon that is approved for off-duty use by active members
- Two of the most common weapons carried by officers include:
- Smith and Wesson Model 60 (Revolver: .38 cal)
- SIG Sauer Model P239 (Semi-automatic: 9mm and .40 cal)
- Note: The above are only examples of weapons that are permitted. They are not the only acceptable pistols.
Qualification Course
For the qualification course, retirees are required to:
- Provide their own 60 rounds of factory ammunition for the qualification course
- Provide an additional 40 rounds of ammunition in the event it is needed
- Qualify and carry the ammunition that meets the specifications developed by the Firearms Training Team
Weapons & Equipment Criteria
All weapons and ammunition must meet the following specifications.
Caliber
Allowed caliber will be .38, .357 Magnum, 9mm, .40, .357 SIG and .45 ACP
Ammunition
The caliber will be determined and posted by the Firearms Training Team with the approval of the Training Section Commander. The ammunition must be factory-manufactured and no reloads will be permitted for use at the range. The following ammunition specifications have been approved for off-duty carry:
- 9mm 115-147 hollow point
- .40 cal 165-180 hydra-shock or hollow point
- .45 cal 185-230 hollow point
- .357 SIG 125-150 hollow point
- .38 cal 125-147 hollow point
Action
- Weapons will be either a revolver or a pistol.
- All pistols must have an internal safety device that will block the firing pin from striking the cartridge unless the trigger is pulled.
- Weapons equipped with a “striker” firing pin must operate in the double action mode where the pin is drawn back with each pull of the trigger prior to its release.
- No pistol may have an external safety device except trigger-blocking devices that are required by Maryland law.
- Pistols designed for double action-single action (DA-SA) are acceptable. In the cases of DA-SA pistols, the external de-cocking lever can only be designed to safely lower the hammer on a loaded cartridge and not as a safety.
- The trigger pull for any pistol must not be less than six pounds for the double action and, if applicable, four pounds for the single.
- The trigger pull for a revolver must not be less than eight pounds.
- The revolver chosen must have an internal safety designed to block the hammer from striking the cartridge case unless the trigger is pulled. (Internal hammers are acceptable.)
- Repairs to the weapons will be the responsibility of the owner, not the range staff.
- Weapons must not be modified.
Procedure
LEOSA requires annual completion of the RCF, criminal background check, classroom instruction, and range qualification.
The Retiree Will
- Review the qualification calendar and choose a preferred date as well as second and third choice dates. You may not be given your selected choice. Please carefully read your confirmation email to confirm the scheduled date.
- Complete and submit the Retiree Certification Form (PDF) to the County’s LEOSA Coordinator at least 30 days prior to your preferred qualification date, via fax at 410-825-5991, by email to policehumanresources@baltimorecountymd.gov, or by mail to Police Personnel Section
700 East Joppa Road
Towson, Maryland 21286
410-887-2208 - Receive confirmation of your qualification date from the County’s LEOSA Coordinator via email. Note: A retiree will not be permitted to participate in the County’s LEOSA qualification program without having first received confirmation from the LEOSA Coordinator. Retirees can contact the range personnel if they have questions about weapons or ammunition.
The LEOSA Coordinator Will
- Review the RCF and verify the status of the retiree upon retirement to make sure the person left in good standing.
- Initiate a criminal record check.
- Review all documents for final approval.
- Notify the retiree of a confirmed qualification date via email.
Range Personnel Will
- Facilitate the required classroom instruction and range qualification.
- Affix a sticker of qualification to the retiree’s current identification card upon the retiree’s successful completion of qualification. 7/3/20