Does Maine Have To Register Guns

Last Updated: May 22, 2018

Disclaimer: While the information provided here is legal in nature, it is not to be construed as legal advice, and is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Gun laws range from country to country, and it can get confusing keeping rail of all the ones that apply to y'all as a responsible gun owner in the state of Maine. Fortunately, Maine doesn't impose likewise many laws on its gun-owning population, so rest assured your freedoms are safe!

In this guide, we'll get over everything you need to know to purchase and own a gun, and more chiefly, when and where you can apply information technology!

Buying a Handgun

No let is required to buy a handgun in Maine, but there are some requirements to watch out for.

To buy a handgun, you must:

Be 18 or older;
Present state ID;
Have a background cheque performed past a licensed firearms dealer; and
Sign an acknowledgement that y'all received a bones firearms safety brochure.

Signing the acknowledgement may not seem important, but it'due south however the law and then you'll want to brand certain you follow it to the letter! You have to sign the acknowledgement in the presence of the firearms dealer that y'all purchase it front, and keep information technology afterwards.

But Wait…

While the state only requires yous to exist 18 or older to buy a handgun, federal law requires y'all to be 21 or older to buy a handgun. And then what does that hateful? Basically, you tin only buy a handgun from a private seller after you lot reach the age of 18 or 21 (depending on what gun you want to purchase), since your local gun shop is a licensed firearms dealer, and is subject to federal law.

The upside to buying a handgun through a individual sale is that you can avoid the groundwork check and the acknowledgement! But information technology's always a good thought to be aware of firearms rubber no matter what!

…At that place'south More!

You didn't think information technology would exist that easy, did you? In addition to those steps to buy a handgun, there are certain situations that prohibit you from ownership a firearm.

One thing to watch out for that is specific to Maine is that juveniles bedevilled of non-trigger-happy offenses are prohibited from owning a firearm for three years, or until they plough xviii, whichever is longer . The residual of the prohibitions follow the federal law.

You are prohibited from buying a handgun if you:

Have been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for over a year;
Are a fugitive from justice;
Illegally abuse controlled substances;
Have been adjudicated as mentally defective of incompetent, or accept been committed to a mental institution;
Illegally reside in the United States;
Are a former US citizen who has renounced his citizenship;
Were dishonorably discharged from the US Armed forces;
Are subject area to a restraining guild;
Were bedevilled of a misdemeanor offense of domestic violence.

Hopefully none of these are bug for you lot, and you can head off to your local gun shop to pick upwardly that shiny new 1911!

Don't Forget About Long Guns!

While yous're busy trying to determine which handgun to buy, you might want to think about getting a long gun while you're at information technology! The procedure is virtually the aforementioned, just without the boosted safety acknowledgement form. No permit is required to buy a long gun either.

To purchase a long gun, you must:

Be 18 or older;
Provide ID; and
Accept a background check performed by a licensed firearms dealer.

Easy peasy! And just similar with handguns, you don't have to go through the groundwork check if you buy a long gun through a private sale. As an added bonus, if you are buying from a private seller, yous only need to exist xvi or older, not 18!

Think of the Children!

If you lot are under 16, nevertheless, y'all need to be careful. It is illegal to buy air rifles, gunpowder, or ammo for a firearm if you are under 16, unless you lot are accompanied past a parent, guardian, or an adult approved past a parent or guardian, and the buy was for employ of a firearm while existence supervised.

But that doesn't mean you tin can't accept any fun! Maine grants hunting license for anyone ten or older! That's right! Ten years quondam!

Nevertheless, hunting if you are under 16 years erstwhile requires approval from a parent, guardian, or someone 18 or older, who has a valid Maine hunting license, or has completed a hunter safe form. If you are 16 or older and take a junior hunting license, y'all must complete a hunter rubber course in order to hunt without adult supervision.

Child learning to shoot — A Immature Hunter in Preparation

Accept Gun, Volition Carry

Once you take your guns, you tin evidence them off to all your friends! And strangers! Open carry is allowed in Maine without a permit. Fifty-fifty ameliorate, if you lot are 21 or older, you can comport a concealed handgun, no allow required!

If you lot're not 21 notwithstanding, you might still exist able to carry curtained!

You can behave concealed under 21 if you are:

At least 18 years onetime; and
On active duty in the US Armed forces or National guard or were honorably discharged.

Fifty-fifty though you tin conduct concealed without a let, Maine does issue CCW permits, for people who desire to exist able to carry when they are out of land. To learn more about getting a let, hop over to our Maine CCW section.

For everyone else, you'll demand to exist aware of where you lot are, even if y'all are openly carrying. A general rule is that if a identify has metallic detectors, your guns probably aren't allowed. It is too a skillful idea to rethink openly conveying your handgun (or AR-15!) if you lot will be the only 1 doing and then, since you might describe unwanted attention.

Specifically, though, firearms are prohibited from:

Any law enforcement edifice, detention facility, prison house, or jail;
A courthouse or courtroom;
Restricted areas of an drome (i.east. past the metal detectors);
Labor disputes or strikes;
Casinos;
Areas of a restaurant or establishment where alcohol is sold for immediate consumption if firearm prohibition signs are posted (i.eastward. a bar of a eating house is off limits, but a liquor shop is fine);
Acadia National Park; and
School zones (the surface area within 500 feet of a school or schoolhouse grounds).

If you lot accept to get to any of these areas, it's a practiced idea to leave your gun backside, either at home or locked abroad in a car condom hidden out of sight.

Going for a Bulldoze

If yous practise make up one's mind to leave your gun in the car, whether considering you're going somewhere firearms are prohibited, or merely taking it to the range, at that place are a few things to keep in mind.

When yous've got a gun in the car, the gun cannot have a cartridge or shell in the chamber or in an fastened magazine, clip, or cylinder. For those of yous with slightly older firearms, a muzzle-loading firearm cannot exist charged with powder, pb, and a primed ignition device. Basically, don't continue it loaded!

But There are Exceptions!

Since concealed carry is allowed without a permit, you tin have a loaded handgun in the car with you lot!

If you don't accept a CCW allow though, you must immediately inform police enforcement officers you are carrying curtained, whenever you lot come into contact with them (i.e. at a traffic stop, during an arrest, etc.). You practise not want an officer to find out yous've got a 1911 strapped to your hip while he is patting you downwardly.

When Tin You Actually Employ Your Gun?

Of course, for many people, the applied aspect of having guns is beingness able to defend yourself if you're ever faced with a threat to yourself or your loved ones. The state of Maine recognizes this correct, and lets yous protect yourself when faced with a threat. Sort of.

Protecting Your Castle

In Maine, yous are justified in using mortiferous force against someone if you lot reasonably believe it is necessary, and reasonably believe that person is:

About to utilize mortiferous strength against yous or someone else;
Committing, or about to commit, a kidnapping, robbery, or rape; or
The person has entered or is attempting to enter your firm without permission.

But , you tin just use mortiferous force if you outset demand the person end what they are doing, unless it would be dangerous to brand the demand. In other words, if it is prophylactic to do so, you need to ask the bad guy to terminate what they are doing and go away. Seriously.

Man defending home with rifle — Defending His Castle

Continuing Your Ground

With the requirement that yous demand the bad guy stop what they are doing before you can use mortiferous forcefulness, it should not be a surprise that you are non allowed to "stand up your footing" when faced with a mortiferous threat exterior the dwelling. If information technology is safety to retreat, you must practice then.

You are not allowed to use deadly strength if you tin can safely:

Retreat from the situation (unless you lot are in your home); or
Follow a need to not do something (i.e "stay on the ground and don't motion!").

Basically, you lot are not allowed to stand up your ground when you are outside the home, and should retreat whenever possible. It's not the best way to exist able to defend yourself, merely information technology'due south amend to run away and go out things to the cops than end upwards in jail considering you decided to actually attempt and stop the bad guy.

That's Information technology!

Yous now know everything y'all need to about the gun laws of Maine! Unless y'all're interested in getting a CCW permit, in which instance, go check out our CCW section!

If you don't need to learn about CCW permits, that's okay as well! Simply don't forget to purchase a nice and sturdy prophylactic to keep all those guns you lot're gonna buy. A gun cabinet or handgun rubber would be a good identify to starting time, and can keep our guns away from kids. In one case your gun drove starts to grow, a sturdy long gun safe may exist a better pick.