Maryland’s Finest Wear and Carry Classes
Wear and Carry Compliance Class – $300
Fortress Training’s Compliance Class satisfies Maryland’s 16-hour training requirement and is ideal for those looking for the basic level of training needed to obtain the permit.
The class is split between 2 days. Completing both parts of this training makes you eligible to apply for your permit to carry in Maryland.
Day 1 (8 hours)
Classroom training focused on Maryland law and firearm basics.
- Maryland Carry Laws
- Basic Handgun Safety Training
- Operational Mechanics
- Understanding the application process
- Ammunition selection
- Understanding Reciprocity and other available permits
- How to deal with a law enforcement encounter
Day 2 (8 hours)
- Range time and qualification
- Mastering the firearm and mechanism of fire – How it works
- Surviving malfunctions
- Tactical shooting techniques and scenarios
- Choosing the correct holster(s) for you
- Understanding your legal rights and planning
Wear and Carry Permit FULL IMMERSION Class – $500
Our Full Immersion class also satisfies Maryland’s 16-hour training requirement but is packed with exclusive extras you won’t get with any other Wear and Carry class on the market.
Day 1 (8 hours)
Classroom training focused on Maryland law and firearm basics.
- Maryland Carry Laws
- Basic Handgun Safety Training
- Operational Mechanics
- Ammunition selection
- Understanding Reciprocity and other available permits
- How to deal with a law enforcement encounter
- Physiological and psychological effects of a violent situation
- Exclusive Fortress Training Extras (see below)
Day 2 (8 hours)
OFF-Range (Baltimore BWI Area)
This is a fully immersive indoor training focused on real-life, real space, reality-based situations and how to handle them. It also includes your 25-round qualification on the range.
ON-Range (Private Farms across Maryland)
This training takes place outdoors, on farms across Maryland, and is focused on getting you comfortable shooting. You’ll shoot 150-250 rounds, including your qualification.
With Fortress Training, you’re getting training that goes FAR beyond that which Maryland mandates.
The problem you get with the training from instructors teaching the bare minimum (Maryland’s requirements) is that it doesn’t properly prepare you for the real world when carrying a firearm.
I’d go so far as to say, it’s downright dangerous.
With your Wear and Carry training from Fortress Training, you’ll get the training needed to satisfy Maryland’s application requirements…
But you’ll also be trained on the advanced level techniques and concepts of extraction and de-escalation. These are techniques we’ve developed and fine-tuned over the last decade and are found exclusively at Fortress Training.
What’s included:
- M4 Carry Quadrant: Understanding the relationship of the M4 Carry Quadrant and getting you home. This alone can save you tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of your time.
- A8’s decision-making and cerebral distraction (this quickly gets your attention!)
- Understanding the needed correlation between the firearm and three other essential components of training is something NO ONE is going to discuss with you. It is more than just the gun and how to shoot it. It is about you as a person and making the correct decision.
- Avoidance of the most common legal mistakes people make that get them handcuffed.
- The physiological and psychological stress and its effect on your response and how to master it.
- Video of actual Baltimore armed robbery and the response analysis of those involved.
** Our EXCLUSIVE Day 1 training benefits are backed by 30 years of experience in human development and the successful training of over 20,000 clients.
Fortress Training Exclusive
We believe the most significant training and development is off-range. Skill confirmation and advancement is on-range.
Regardless of whether you choose the OFF-Range or ON-Range option for Day-2, we will focus on three critical gunfight skills:
- Holstering
- Triggers
- Magazine changes
You will perform hundreds of these skills. No sitting around in a boring classroom. You have a firearm all day.
We will document and prove to you that our “Crawl Draw” drill alone will save your life!
OFF-Range
The focus here is skill mastery. We teach you skills you can do anywhere. We use professional law enforcement and military training equipment. We introduce you to LIVE decision-making opportunities, including using responsible force vs deadly force, how to command on the streets, and why high-thought counseling techniques may not work in stressful situations.
ON-Range
The focus here is putting rounds down range on a private farm. We still focus on the skills mentioned above, but there is no close-quarters work or potential deadly force encounter opportunities. The most significant benefit here is more live fire rounds down range. Same skills, just a different focus.
Many have told us this is the best firearms training they have had worldwide.
Why? Because we are not doing this as a business; we just didn’t “jump into the firearms training game”.
We do it out of passion. A desire to help you and give you all we can with the time we have together – the greatest of all Fortress Training advantages.
Meet Our Founder
John Finnessy
John has taught over 20,000 students in one area of focus: the handgun. He does not offer multiple aspects of firearms training. His sole focus is tactical responsive shooting and getting you home and not to the morgue or prison cell.
It is for this reason, not only civilians but also individual law enforcement professionals and various federal agencies have turned to John when it comes to using a firearm.
Whether you are new to firearms or need to take your skills to a higher level, John offers training methods and concepts you will not find elsewhere because his focus is beyond just focusing on the gun, but you as an individual and your relationship to the firearm producing a far greater result than stand single focused firearms training.
He truly takes handgun training to the next level.
Upcoming Wear and Carry Classes
Answers to Your Questions
Both Maryland residents and non-residents are eligible to receive a MDWC permit. You no longer need a good and substantial reason to qualify.
Due to the nature of our classes, we do not give out the exact location until you register for the class. When you register, you will receive an email with the address of the training. The classes in the BWI area are about 5 minutes from BWI airport.
Click on the class date you want to register for, and it will take you through the registration process. You will automatically be in the range day that corresponds with the class in which you registered.
Our MDWC is $500.00 for the 16 hours of training. For the classes in the BWI area, we provide firearms, ammunition, eye and ear protection, and holsters. You just need to wear a belt.
The state charges a $125.00 application fee which is paid when your wear and carry application is submitted. Fingerprinting is also separate and paid to the fingerprint company. They charge $70.00, but you can save $10.00 on fingerprinting by completing a link emailed to you.
The state requires 16 hours of training. We break the training into two 8-hour days. The first day is classroom training and the second day is a range day.
All of our upcoming classes are listed on the MDWC page. To view and register for a class go here.
Yes, we have a fingerprinting company that comes to all of our classes and can take care of our fingerprinting needs.
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Yes, you can. A DUI is not treated as a criminal offense; it is considered a traffic offense and does not count against you on the application.