A Baltimore jury awarded the city $62 million in damages against firearms retailer Hanover Armory LLC, the largest verdict ever rendered against a gun dealer in U.S. history.[1] The city alleged that Hanover Armory played a central role in filling Baltimore’s streets with “ghost guns,” untraceable firearms assembled from kits and parts.[2] The lawsuit argued that these weapons contributed directly to a surge in violent crime, undermining public safety across Baltimore.[3] City leaders praised the verdict as a historic moment in holding gun dealers accountable for irresponsible practices.[4]

The verdict was only possible because of Maryland’s 2022 Untraceable Firearms Act, created by Senate Bill 387.[5] Previously, ghost guns occupied a legal gray area because they were sold as unfinished frames and receivers.[6] These parts were not considered firearms, making them unregulated, easy to obtain online, and hard to trace when recovered at crime scenes.[7]

Maryland became one of the first states to address this by redefining “firearm” to include unfinished frames and receivers.[8] The law, effective June 1, 2022, banned the sale, transfer, or possession of unserialized ghost guns and imposed penalties of up to five years imprisonment and $10,000 in fines for violations.[9] The General Assembly provided prosecutors with the legal framework necessary to pursue cases like Baltimore’s.[10]

Between 2019 and 2022, Baltimore experienced a 1,500% increase in ghost gun recoveries.[11] Many of these weapons were used in violent crimes, including shootings and homicides.[12] Ghost guns were also linked to crimes committed by minors who otherwise would have been barred from purchasing firearms.[13] Law enforcement officials reported that the inability to trace these guns severely hindered investigations and prosecutions.[14]

The city argued that Hanover Armory’s business practices exacerbated this crisis.[15] According to the complaint, the retailer marketed ghost guns without sufficient safeguards and sold them in ways that ignored the foreseeable risk of criminal misuse.[16] Baltimore relied on the Maryland Consumer Protection Act and public nuisance doctrine, framing the case not just as a matter of criminal law but as a consumer rights and public health issue.[17]

The city has announced that the $62 million award will be directed into an abatement fund supporting three community violence intervention groups.[18] These organizations will provide counseling, intervention services, and resources for victims of gun violence.[19] City leaders have emphasized that the money will not only help heal communities but also prevent future harm by investing in proactive, community-based solutions.[20]

By enacting the 2022 ghost gun ban, Maryland lawmakers gave cities like Baltimore the tools to combat a uniquely modern firearm threat.[21] Other jurisdictions may look to Baltimore’s case as a blueprint, using state-level bans and consumer protection laws to pursue similar claims.[22] Baltimore’s historic $62 million win shows that courts are willing to hold manufacturers and retailers accountable when their products contribute to widespread harm.[23] As Maryland continues to grapple with gun violence, this case underscores the critical role of state law in protecting public safety and delivering justice for victims.[24]

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Samuel Rettig is a third-year law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law and an Associate Editor for Law Forum. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Samuel has experience in criminal law, personal injury law, employment law, attorney malpractice, and medical malpractice, having interned for the Honorable Althea Handy in the Baltimore City Circuit Court and Eccleston & Wolf, P.C. He expects to graduate in May 2026. 

[1] Press Release, City of Baltimore, Jury Awards City of Baltimore $62 Million in Damages After Nearby Gun Dealer Hanover Armory Flooded the City with Deadly Ghost Guns, Balt. City Mayor (Aug. 27, 2025), https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2025-08-27-largest-ever-verdict-dealt-against-gun-dealer-rendered-city-baltimore (on file with University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[2] Id.

[3] Erin Cox, Baltimore Awarded $62 Million in Ghost-Gun Lawsuit Against Arms Dealer, Wash. Post (Aug. 31, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/31/ghost-gun-lawsuit-millions-baltimore (on file with University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[4]Baltimore Wins $62M Verdict Against Ghost-Gun Dealer in Historic Ruling, WBal (Aug. 2025), https://www.wbal.com/baltimore-wins-62m-verdict-against-ghost-gun-dealer-in-historic-ruling (on file with University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[5] Md. S.B. 387, 2022 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Md. 2022).

[6]Maryland’s New “Ghost Gun” Law Explained, Kadish Law Firm (Aug. 15, 2022), https://www.kadishlawfirm.com/blog/marylands-new-ghost-gun-law-explained (on file with University of Baltimore Law Forum).

[7]  Id.

[8] Md. S.B. 387, supra note 5.

[9]  Id.

[10] See supra note 6.

[11] See supra note 1.

[12] Id.

[13] See supra note 3.

[14] Id.

[15]See supra note 1.

[16] Id.

[17] See supra note 3.

[18] Id.

[19] See supra note 4.

[20] Id.

[21] See supra note 5.

[22] See supra note 3.

[23] See supra note 1.

[24] See supra note 3.