City Secures Multi-Million Dollar Settlement and Strict Injunctive Terms
BALTIMORE, MD (Monday, April 20, 2026) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced that Baltimore City has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against Hanover Armory, a leading seller of ghost guns in Maryland. Ghost guns are unserialized, largely untraceable firearms. The City won a historic trial verdict against Hanover Armory in August 2025. The case is currently on appeal.
The settlement prioritizes injunctive relief that ensures that Hanover Armory will responsibly sell firearms in the future. Hanover has agreed to terms like strict reporting requirements, including notifying the City whenever a prohibited purchaser attempts to buy a firearm at the store. They also agreed to not sell any unserialized gun kits, mechanical conversion devices like Glock "switches," bump stocks, and forced reset triggers. Further, Hanover will alert the City of any attempted straw purchase and provide comprehensive yearly sales reports documenting its sales of all firearms and firearm accessories.
In addition to this injunctive relief, Hanover will pay the City two million dollars. These funds will be used to restore support for gun violence prevention programs that were defunded by President Trump in 2025. As the City demonstrated at trial, these programs have contributed to a historic decline in gun violence in Baltimore.
"This case sends a clear message: we will not tolerate irresponsible gun dealers putting illegal weapons on our streets and enabling cycles of violence in our communities," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "A small number of gun dealers sell the majority of guns used in violent crimes, and our work to stem the flow of illegal guns into our city is focused on these reckless dealers. This settlement delivers accountability and oversight, ensuring that any business Hanover Armory does must be within the bounds of the law."
In February 2024 the City settled a related lawsuit against Polymer 80, a ghost gun manufacturer, on similarly strict injunctive terms, barring Polymer 80 from selling ghost guns both within Maryland and to Maryland residents in nearby states. The City has seen a dramatic reduction in ghost gun recoveries following that settlement.
"We are immensely proud of the historic trial verdict we achieved in this case," said City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson. "This settlement both mitigates the risks of an appeal and leverages that verdict into an agreement that will make Baltimore safer. This settlement fits squarely into the City's legal strategy regarding firearms. We will continue to target the worst actors in the gun industry and achieve results that both fund anti-violence efforts and, most importantly, bring those bad actors into compliance with the law."
Partnering with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the City brought this suit against Polymer 80 and Hanover Armory in 2021 in response to the rapid escalation of ghost guns appearing on Baltimore streets, especially in the hands of minors. Baltimore City is represented by Thomas Webb and Sara Gross of the Baltimore City Department of Law along with attorneys from Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP, Berger Montague, and the Brady Center.