Here’s an alert we received from Texas Law Shield:
If you have a Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas or Virginia handgun license, you need to know that your state-issued carry license is not valid in Maine. This comes as a result of Maine enacting a type of constitutional carry. We congratulate Maine on becoming the latest state to practice some form of permitless concealed carry. For folks in one of the states where Maine does not recognize your carry license, this means you can still carry in Maine, but subject to a few unusual and important exceptions you need to know . . .
Without a valid license you cannot carry in the following places:
- Acadia National Park
- State parks (open carry not permitted)
- Employees vehicles on work premises (vehicle must be locked and firearm must not be visible)
A valid and recognized license is STILL REQUIRED to carry a handgun into these locations, and your Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas or Virginia license WILL NOT satisfy that requirement. For our members from Oklahoma and Missouri, your state-issued licenses are recognized in Maine at this time.
To sum up—if you live in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, and have a license issued by one of those states, you can carry a concealed handgun in Maine even though your carry license is not recognized. Just be sure to avoid any prohibited areas, and immediately notify any law enforcement you encounter of your concealed handgun during a stop, detention, or arrest. If you have any questions, give us a call and well be happy to help.
Recent developments in Maine law have made dramatic changes to both reciprocity and the conditions under which both residents and non-residents can carry a concealed handgun in the state. As of October 15, Maine no longer recognizes any out-of-state handgun license from states that do not recognize a Maine concealed handgun license.
The good news is that Maine just recently became a permitless concealed carry state. What this means is that anyone 21 or older who can legally possess a firearm can carry a concealed handgun in Maine without any type of permit or license. Active Military and Honorably Discharged Veterans age 18-20 can also carry concealed.
Further, anyone who meets the age requirement and is legally entitled to possess a handgun may have one loaded in their vehicle, trailer, or other vehicle being towed. However, locations that were previously off-limits for concealed carry will remain off-limits, including courthouses, federal buildings, bars, etc.
Similar to many states, if you are carrying concealed without a permit and are pulled over by Maine law enforcement, you have a duty to immediately inform the officer that you are carrying a concealed handgun.