Are firearms legal in Maine?

Q: Are firearms legal in Maine?

Firearms in Maine are permitted. No permit is needed at 21 or older, for residents and visitors alike, if you are not prohibited from having a firearm. At 18 to 20 you need a permit unless you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard, or are an honorably discharged veteran of either. Permitless carry has applied since October 15, 2015.

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Firearms

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Permitted: No permit is needed at 21 or older, for residents and visitors alike, if you are not prohibited from having a firearm.

Permitted

Summary

No permit is needed at 21 or older, for residents and visitors alike, if you are not prohibited from having a firearm. At 18 to 20 you need a permit unless you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard, or are an honorably discharged veteran of either. Permitless carry has applied since October 15, 2015.

Source: maine.gov → · Updated October 12, 2026

Maine Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Maine →Permitted
No permit is needed at 21 or older, for residents and visitors alike, if you are not prohibited from having a firearm.
Open Carry in Maine →Permitted
No permit is needed to openly carry a handgun in Maine if you may lawfully have a firearm, and the state has no general open-carry ban.
Magazine Capacity in Maine →Permitted
Maine has no state limit on magazine capacity for carry.
Gun Possession in Maine →Conditional
Maine's red-flag law (Extreme Risk Protection Order, or ERPO) is now in effect — voters approved Question 2 in November 2025 and petitions began in February 2026 — in addition to the state's earlier "yellow flag" law.
Transporting Firearms in Maine →Permitted
No permit is needed. You may keep a loaded pistol or revolver in a vehicle if you are 21 or older and not prohibited from having a firearm.
Duty to Inform Police in Maine →Conditional
Yes, if you carry concealed without a Maine-issued permit.
Suppressors & Silencers in Maine →Conditional
Suppressors are legal in Maine, which has no state ban, once you go through the federal National Firearms Act (NFA).
Reciprocity — where is my Maine permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Maine concealed-carry permit.

Other Maine laws

Firearms in nearby states

Firearms in NH

Browse all state laws →

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