Is firearms legal in Maine?

Q: Is firearms legal in Maine?

Firearms in Maine is permitted. Maine has been a permitless-carry state (also called constitutional carry) since October 15, 2015: anyone 21 and older (or 18 and older for military) who can lawfully possess may carry concealed without a permit. Optional permits are available.

Back

MAINE · FIREARMS

Firearms

Permitted: Maine has been a permitless-carry state (also called constitutional carry) since October 15, 2015: anyone 21 and older (or 18 and older for military) who can lawfully possess may carry concealed without a permit.

Permitted

Summary

Maine has been a permitless-carry state (also called constitutional carry) since October 15, 2015: anyone 21 and older (or 18 and older for military) who can lawfully possess may carry concealed without a permit. Optional permits are available.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses-permits/concealed-carry-maine · Updated July 2, 2026

Maine Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Maine →Permitted
Maine has been a permitless-carry state (also called constitutional carry) since October 15, 2015: anyone 21 and older (or 18 and older for military) who can lawfully possess may carry concealed without a permit.
Open Carry in Maine →Permitted
Open carry of a handgun is legal in Maine without a permit for anyone who may lawfully possess one — generally 21 and older, or 18 and older for military members.
Magazine Capacity in Maine →Permitted
No state law limits magazine capacity in Maine — standard-capacity and high-capacity magazines are legal to buy and possess under state law.
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
Maine doesn't require a permit: anyone 21 or older — or 18 or older if military — who can lawfully possess a handgun may carry it loaded in a vehicle.
Duty to Inform Police in Maine →Conditional
Maine has a duty to inform, but only for permitless carriers: anyone carrying a concealed handgun without a valid permit must immediately inform the officer at first contact during any arrest, detainment, or routine traffic stop (25 M.R.S. § 2003-A).
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 →

Don't get caught off guardGet a push the moment Maine law changes — or when you cross into a state where it's different. Free.Get the free app