Maine Permitless Carry Reminder!

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Gary Slider

New member
Starting October 15, 2015 Maine will be Permitless Carry. Anyone who is 21 years of age or Active Military/Veterans 18 – 20 who can legally possess a firearm can carry it concealed in Maine without any type of Permit/License to Carry. There are a few quirks in their new law that people need to be aware of.

For military under 21 years of age you would need to carry your Military ID. For Vets under 21 you would have to have some way of showing you were a vet. Maine has not stated what would be accepted as proof you were a veteran and under 21 years of age. Handgunlaw.us believes the only thing that would show this would be your DD-214 and your state issued Drivers License or State Issued ID.

If carrying in Maine under Permitless Carry and approached by a police officer on any official contact you must immediately inform them you are carrying a firearm by law. If you have a permit/license that Maine honors you do not have a legal obligation to inform.

Maine will now honor all states that honor them. Maine will not honor all other states permit/licenses like all the other states that are permitless carry. They will honor anyone who honors them. Starting October 15, 2015 Maine will honor the following states. AK, AL, AZ, AR, DE, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, ND, NC, NE, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, UT and WY. These states either honor Maine already or they have a signed agreement with Maine. That brings to 24 the number of sates Maine honors up from just 8 previously.

The Permitless Carry law has implications with places off limits. Without a permit/license that Maine honors you can’t carry in the below listed places when carrying under the permitless carry law while those with a permit/license they do honor can.

1. Acadia National Park (Permit required; 12 M.R.S. §756)
2. State Parks (Permit required; open carry not permitted; 12 M.R.S. § 1803(7))
3. Regular archery hunting-deer only (Permit required; 12 MRS § 11403)
4. Employees’ vehicles on work premises (Permit required; vehicle must be locked and firearm
must not be visible; 26 M.R.S. §600)

Maine law is very specific that you have to have a Permit/License to Carry that Maine issues or honors to carry in the above listed locations. Carrying under Permitless Carry would not be legal in those locations. You can see more about this at the Maine State Police here:
http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses/documents/Summaryoflaw.pdf

There will be some additions to the list of states Maine Honors. Colorado, Florida, West Virginia and Florida are almost certain. New Hampshire is almost certain but New Hampshire does things their own way. Some of the other states that have reciprocity in their law and may honor Maine in the future. Handgunlaw.us has contacted Maine telling them that CO, FL, WV and WY will honor them if they contact them. I have also contacted those four states telling them that Maine law has changed and that they will now honor anyone who honors them and they should contact Maine concerning this. From their replies I believe they have/will contact them. So look for the list of states that Maine honors to grow.

For those who don’t/can’t get a permit in their home state you can obtain a Maine Carry Permit. The application can be printed here:
http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses/documents/Weapons/non-resident application package.pdf
 
I should have added that Maine will only honor Resident Permit/Licenses from the states they honor. Maine will not honor any Non Resident permit but their own.
 
As a Maine resident and a licensed cc permit holder, I have mixed feelings about this new law. The problem I have is I think there are some people who will now start carrying would benefit from a firearms training and safety course. I say this because I had to take one and pass it in order to get my permit. There were a few individuals in that class that I had concerns about them walking around packing. One in particular showed too much enthusiasm for the idea of gunning someone down and showed their total lack knowledge basic gun safety.
This person actually brought a loaded gun into the class and when they took it out they started waving it around the room. They immediately got a lesson about basic gun safety from the instructors. When we got to the range part of the class, this person actually acted afraid of the handguns and during their first turn at the line they had a problem pulling the trigger and could not fire it. When they claimed there was something wrong with the trigger the instructor took the gun from them and shot two shots at the target. This person took extra instruction to even get them to fire a gun. Kind of scary actually and I really don't know if they got their certificate.
One reason I plan on keeping my permit so I can potentially utilize it if allowed when visiting another state.
 
I had concerns too. But Vermont has made this legal for years without problems. And there's no reciprocity under the new law.
 
But Vermont has made this legal for years without problems.
Click to expand...

Vermont has never made it illegal (except that pesky Rutland ordinance 100 or so years ago)...

The idea that "I know I am safe with a gun in public, but I don't know about that other guy", never ceases to amaze me...
 
In general, it's a step forward for Maine, but it doesn't help me. I used to visit Acadia National Park every year. I haven't been there for a decade or more, and I've been meaning to apply for a Maine permit before going back. The new Maine law doesn't help me because Maine doesn't recognize my home state permit and doesn't recognize non-resident permits from the other states I have. To carry in the park (as well as to satisfy the school zone law), I'll still have to get the Maine permit.

Ah, well ... I needed the reminder.
 
I have had my Permit since 1978. I am glad to see the additional States added.

I do wish someone would address what I see as a Problem with the Application however.

They ask if you are a Drug Addict, Drug abuser, or Drug dependent. Anyone with High Blood Pressure, a heart condition, diabetes, ect ect, is Drug dependent and would therefore not qualify. It's a Yes or No Question, with no place for explanation, Nor does it say an illegal user of Drugs.
 
It isn't a problem unless you are dependent on alcohol or a controlled substance.

7. Dependency-related drug. "Dependency-related drug" means alcohol or any substance controlled under Title 22, chapter 558 or Title 32, chapter 117.
///
12. "Drug-dependent person" means any person who is unable to function effectively and whose inability to do so causes, or results from, the use of a dependency-related drug.
Click to expand...
http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec20003.html
 
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