Gun laws in Maine sit on the permissive end of the spectrum: adults 21 and older can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, the state bans no category of rifle or magazine, and local governments cannot pass their own firearm ordinances. Real restrictions still apply. Certain people cannot possess firearms at all, several places are off-limits regardless of any permit, and the rules on when you can use deadly force are narrower than many carriers assume.
Who Can Legally Own a Firearm
Two layers of law set the age floor. Under Maine law (Title 17-A, sections 554-A and 554-B), no one may transfer a handgun to a person under 18, and no one outside a parent, guardian, or approved adult may sell a long gun to someone under 16. A non-family member can transfer, but not sell, a long gun to someone between 16 and 18. Federal law then blocks licensed dealers from selling handguns or handgun ammunition to anyone under 21, and rifles or shotguns to anyone under 18.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts An 18-year-old in Maine can legally possess a handgun but cannot buy one from a dealer until 21.
Some people cannot possess firearms at all. Maine bars ownership by anyone convicted of a crime punishable by a year or more in prison, anyone involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital, and anyone under a protective order that includes findings of credible threats to an intimate partner or child. A convicted felon in possession faces a Class B crime carrying up to 10 years; most other prohibited categories face a Class C crime with up to five years.2Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 15 Section 393 – Possession of Firearms Prohibited for Certain Persons Federal law adds fugitives from justice, unlawful users of controlled substances, anyone dishonorably discharged, and anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons If a background check denies you and you believe the underlying record is wrong, you can request the reason from the FBI and file a formal challenge.4Federal Bureau of Investigation. Challenges / Appeals
Buying and Transferring Firearms
Every purchase from a licensed dealer runs through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Since 2024, Maine has extended background checks to some private sales as well. If you sell a firearm at a gun show or as a result of an advertisement (online, print, or broadcast), the sale must go through a licensed dealer who runs the buyer through NICS. If the check flags the buyer as prohibited, the dealer must stop the sale. Truly private transfers with no gun show and no advertisement are not covered. Selling to someone you know or should know is prohibited remains a crime either way. Violating the background check requirement on a covered sale is a Class C crime, up to five years in prison.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 15 Section 395 – Background Checks of Firearms Buyers
Buying a firearm for someone who cannot legally buy it themselves is a straw purchase, and it is a serious federal offense. Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, straw purchasing carries up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, rising to 25 years if the firearm is later used in a felony, terrorism, or drug trafficking.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy
Maine also had a 72-hour waiting period between purchase and delivery, but a federal judge suspended the law in February 2025, and it is not being enforced while the case continues. Check the current status before assuming no wait applies.
Carrying a Firearm in Public
Anyone 21 or older who is not a prohibited person can carry a concealed handgun in Maine without a permit. Active-duty members of the Armed Forces or National Guard, and honorably discharged veterans, can carry concealed starting at 18.7Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 25 Section 2001-A – Threatening Display of or Carrying Concealed Weapon Open carry of handguns and long guns is legal for anyone who can lawfully possess a firearm.
If you carry concealed without a permit and a law enforcement officer stops, detains, or arrests you, you must immediately tell the officer you are armed.8Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 25 Section 2003-A – Duty to Inform Law Enforcement Failing to do so is a civil violation with a fine of up to $100. Permit holders are exempt from that duty.9Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 25 Section 2004 – Penalty
The state still issues concealed handgun permits, and there are two practical reasons to get one. First, reciprocity: other states honor Maine permits only if you actually hold one. The Maine State Police keeps a current reciprocity list.10Maine State Police. Concealed Handgun Reciprocity A resident permit costs $50, with $35 renewals, and requires a background check.11Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 25 Section 2003 – Permits to Carry Concealed Handguns Second, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act bans firearms within 1,000 feet of a school unless you hold a license issued by the state where the school sits, and the state verified your qualifications before issuing it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Federal courts have split on whether permitless carry qualifies, since no state “issued” anything to verify. A Maine permit puts you clearly inside the exemption.
Where Firearms Are Prohibited
Certain locations are off-limits regardless of permit status:
- Public or private school property, and within 500 feet of it. Class E crime, up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.12Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 20-A Section 6552 – Firearms
- Courthouses. Class D crime, up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Holding a concealed carry permit is explicitly not a defense.13Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A Section 1058 – Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in a Courthouse
- Bars and restaurants with liquor licenses, but only if you are under the influence. Being armed in a licensed establishment while impaired or at 0.08 BAC or higher is a Class D crime. Being armed and sober is not the offense.14Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A Section 1057 – Possession of Firearms in an Establishment Licensed for On-Premises Consumption of Liquor
- The State Capitol complex.
- Labor dispute sites where a struck or locked-out employer is receiving applications or conducting interviews. Class D crime; a permit does not exempt you.
State parks work differently. The Bureau of Parks and Lands cannot bar concealed handgun permit holders from carrying in parks; the rules for permitless carriers may differ. Acadia National Park specifically requires a Maine permit.15Maine State Police. Concealed Carry in Maine Private property owners can prohibit firearms on their premises. Maine has no firearms-specific signage statute, so the enforcement path is trespass: if the owner tells you to leave and you refuse, you can face trespassing charges. Federal property follows federal rules, and carrying in a U.S. post office remains prohibited under federal regulations.
When You Can Use a Firearm in Self-Defense
Maine is not a pure stand-your-ground state. Outside the home, you have a duty to retreat if you can do so with complete safety before using deadly force. Inside your home, you do not.
Deadly force is justified when you reasonably believe it is necessary because another person is about to use unlawful deadly force against you or a third person, or is committing or about to commit a kidnapping, robbery, or sexual assault. You lose that justification if you provoked the confrontation, or if you know you can safely retreat, surrender property, or comply with a demand. The retreat requirement does not apply inside your own home so long as you were not the initial aggressor.16Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A Section 108 – Physical Force in Defense of a Person
A separate statute covers your home directly. If someone has entered or is trying to enter your dwelling without permission, you can use deadly force when you reasonably believe it necessary to prevent bodily injury and the intruder is committing or likely to commit a crime inside. You must first demand that the trespasser leave, unless doing so would put you or others in danger. Deadly force to prevent arson is also permitted for anyone in possession or control of the premises.17Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A Section 104 – Use of Force in Defense of Premises
What You Can Legally Own
Maine bans no category of firearm at the state level. Semi-automatic rifles, pistol grips, adjustable stocks, and the other features that drive “assault weapon” laws in some states are all legal. There is no magazine capacity limit.
Items regulated federally under the National Firearms Act, including suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, are legal in Maine as long as the owner completes federal registration and pays the $200 transfer tax.18Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Transfers use ATF Form 4, with average processing times as of early 2026 of roughly 10 to 26 days depending on filing method and whether the applicant is an individual or a trust.19Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
Machine guns are treated separately. Possessing a machine gun “without authority” is a Class D crime, up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.20Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A Section 1051 – Possession of Machine Gun “Without authority” means not registered under the NFA. Because federal law closed the registry to new machine guns in May 1986, legal ownership in practice means pre-1986 registered models.
The Yellow Flag Law
Maine’s crisis removal process is called the “yellow flag” law, and it differs from red flag laws in one respect: a medical professional must evaluate the person before a court can order firearms taken away. Police cannot petition a judge directly.
The process starts when an officer takes someone into protective custody based on probable cause that the person poses a risk of serious harm. A medical practitioner then assesses whether the person presents a likelihood of foreseeable harm, defined as a substantial risk of serious physical injury to themselves or others based on recent threats, attempts, or violent behavior. If the assessment confirms the danger, the state can impose initial restrictions barring the person from buying, possessing, or controlling any dangerous weapon for up to 30 days.21Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 34-B Section 3862-A – Extreme Risk Protection Orders Within that window, the district attorney must file a petition and the court must hold a hearing. If the court finds clear and convincing evidence that the person still poses a serious risk, it can extend the prohibition for a year. That order is renewable through another hearing before it expires.
Storing Firearms Around Children
Maine does not require any particular storage method, and no state law forces locking devices at the point of sale. There is, however, a child access prevention law. If you store or leave a loaded firearm where a child under 16 can gain access, and that child then uses it recklessly, threatens someone, commits a crime, or fires it, you can be charged with a Class D crime carrying up to 364 days in jail.
You have a defense if the firearm was in a locked container, secured with a trigger lock, or carried on your person. You also have a defense if no reasonable person would have expected a child to be present, or if the child gained access through a break-in or theft.
Local Ordinances Do Not Apply
Maine preempts local firearm regulation across the board. The state occupies the entire field concerning firearms, ammunition, and accessories, and any municipal or county ordinance regulating sale, purchase, transfer, ownership, possession, transportation, or licensing is void.22Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 25 Section 2011 – State Preemption The rules are the same in Portland, Bangor, and rural Aroostook County. Cities cannot add their own permit requirements, ban particular firearms, or extend carry restrictions beyond what state law already sets.