Gun laws in Maine regulate the sale, possession, and use of

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s and

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

."State Gun Laws: Maine"
National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action. Retrieved December 31, 2012."Maine State Law Summary"
Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved December 31, 2012.

Summary table

State constitutional provisions

Article I, Section 16 of the

Constitution of Maine The Constitution of the State of Maine established the " State of Maine" in 1820 and is the fundamental governing document of the state. It consists of a Preamble and ten Articles (divisions), the first of which is a "Declaration of Rights". ...

states:

"Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned."

Concealed and open carry

Maine is a

constitutional carry In the United States, the term constitutional carry, also called permitless carry, unrestricted carry, or Vermont carry, refers to the legal public carrying of a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a license or permit. The phrase does ...

and "

shall issue Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (such as a handgun) in public in a concealed manner, either on one's person or in close proximity. CCW is often practiced as a means of self-defense. Every ...

" state for

concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pre ...

. The issuing authority for permits are the local police, or the state police. As of October 15, 2015, a permit is not needed to carry a firearm – concealed or open – in the state of Maine, provided that the carrier is legally allowed to own a gun and is over 21 or a member or veteran of the military and over age 18. Concealed carry permits are still available (and are needed in order to legally carry weapons in various other states with which Maine has reciprocity agreements as well as for those under 21); such permits shall be issued within 30 days to a qualified applicant (who has to show proficiency in the use of pistols) and who has been a Maine resident for at least five years, or within 60 days to a nonresident or a resident for less than five years. The permit is valid for four years.

Open carry In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the fir ...

is not lawful in establishments licensed to serve alcohol for consumption on premises (bars, clubs, certain restaurants and so on) provided there is a "no firearms" sign posted in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of patrons or if the carrier of firearms is under the influence of alcohol or drugs by the same standards as apply for operating a motor vehicle. Open carry is not lawful in Federal buildings. Maine honors concealed carry permits from several other states.

Hunting

For hunters, a semi-automatic firearm's magazine capacity can not exceed 6 cartridges (5 in the magazine +1 in the chamber). For migratory game bird hunting, shotgun capacity is 3 shells. Upland bird hunting follows the semi-automatic laws. This is stated in Maine hunting law, but not Maine firearm law. Firearms, even if by definition it qualifies as a "hunting firearm", have no magazine capacity restriction. It only becomes a crime if one actively, or has previously, hunted while violating the magazine capacity restriction. These provisions do not apply to .22 caliber rimfire guns or to auto-loading pistols with a barrel length of less than 8 inches. Maine allows the use of suppressors (also known as "silencers") for hunting, subject to the acquiring a permit. Maine has state preemption of firearms laws. No political subdivision of the state may adopt any law regulating firearms or ammunition, except for regulating the discharge of firearms. A municipality may not sue a firearm or ammunition manufacturer for damages relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing or sale of firearms or ammunition. A municipality may bring legal action for breach of contract or warranty. Employers in Maine may not prohibit its employees from keeping a firearm in the employee's vehicle if the employee has a valid permit to carry the concealed firearm and the firearm is concealed in the employee's own locked vehicle. Employers may continue to prohibit firearms on its premises other than in its parking lot under the conditions specified in the law. Some localities have adopted

Second Amendment sanctuary Second Amendment sanctuary, also known as a gun sanctuary, refers to states, counties, or localities in the United States that have adopted laws or Non-binding resolution, resolutions to prohibit or impede the enforcement of certain gun control ...

resolutions.

References

{{Gun laws in the United States (by state) Maine law