Carrying a Gun in Your Car in Maine: Vehicle Carry Laws

Carrying Firearms in Vehicles — Maine

Overview

Maine is a permitless carry (constitutional carry) state. Effective October 15, 2015, Public Law 2015, Chapter 327 (LD 652) authorizes any eligible person to possess a loaded pistol or revolver while in a motor vehicle, trailer, or other vehicle being hauled by a motor vehicle without a permit (25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(A-1)). This applies to both residents and non-residents of Maine.

Prior to this law, carrying a loaded, concealed handgun in a vehicle required a concealed handgun permit. The 2015 law removed the permit requirement for qualifying individuals but did not change where firearms may be carried or who may possess them.

Who May Carry a Loaded Handgun in a Vehicle Without a Permit

Under 25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(A-1), a person may carry a concealed, loaded pistol or revolver in a motor vehicle without a permit if:

• The person is 21 years of age or older and is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm; or
• The person is 18 to 20 years of age and is either:
  • On active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard; or
  • An honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces or National Guard — and is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm.

Persons aged 18–20 who do not have the qualifying military service must obtain a concealed handgun permit to carry concealed in a vehicle (25 M.R.S. §2003).

Note: The law pertains only to handguns, not all firearms or weapons.

Duty to Inform Law Enforcement

A person carrying a concealed handgun without a permit has a mandatory duty, upon coming into contact with any law enforcement officer during a routine stop, detention, or arrest, to immediately inform the officer that they are carrying a concealed handgun (25 M.R.S. §2003-A).

This duty does not apply to persons carrying with a valid concealed handgun permit.

2025 Legislative Update: In April 2025, the Legislature's Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 to reject LD 1049, which sought to repeal or modify the duty-to-inform requirement. The current requirement remains in effect.

Hunting Context: Loaded Firearms in Motor Vehicles

Maine's hunting laws impose separate, stricter rules for firearms in motor vehicles in the hunting context (12 M.R.S. §11212-A):

• It is unlawful to have a loaded firearm or archery equipment in or on a motor vehicle (including trailers, ATVs, aircraft, snowmobiles, or railway cars) while hunting, unless specifically exempted.
• A loaded magazine may be carried in a motor vehicle, but it must not be inserted in or attached to a firearm.
• Firearms may be transported without a concealed carry permit if they are: (1) unloaded and in plain view, or (2) unloaded and placed in a remote, secure area (such as a locked trunk) away from the control of the occupants.
• A muzzleloader is considered loaded only if charged with powder, a projectile, and a primed ignition device or mechanism. A crossbow is considered loaded if cocked and armed.

Exemptions for handguns while hunting:

• Holders of a valid Maine concealed weapon permit may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in a motor vehicle per 25 M.R.S. §2001-A.
• Persons who qualify for permitless carry (21+, or 18+ with military service) may also carry a loaded pistol or revolver in a motor vehicle while hunting in general. However, this does not apply to all hunting activities — certain activities require a permit (see archery deer season below).
• During regular archery deer season, a concealed handgun permit is required to carry a handgun. The Maine State Police explicitly list regular archery deer hunting as an activity where "an optional handgun permit will authorize the permittee to carry in certain locations or during an activity when an unpermitted person could not" (citing 12 M.R.S. §11403). The handgun cannot be used to shoot a deer or dispatch a wounded deer regardless of permit status.

Source conflict note: The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's hunting regulations state that a person may carry a handgun during archery deer season "in accordance with Title 25 section 2001-A," which textually encompasses both permit holders and permitless carriers. However, the Maine State Police — the agency that administers concealed carry — explicitly categorizes archery deer hunting as "Permit required." This guide follows the more restrictive Maine State Police interpretation. Persons who wish to carry a handgun during regular archery deer season should obtain a concealed handgun permit.

Important: The hunting/trapping license exception in 25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(E) explicitly states that it "does not authorize or permit the carrying of a concealed or loaded firearm in a motor vehicle." The vehicle carry right comes from separate provisions (permit or permitless carry), not from holding a hunting license.

Employee Vehicles on Work Premises

Under 26 M.R.S. §600, an employer may not prohibit an employee from storing a firearm in the employee's vehicle on work premises, provided:

1. The employee holds a valid concealed handgun permit;
2. The vehicle is locked; and
3. The firearm is not visible.

This protection requires a permit — permitless carry alone is not sufficient for this provision.

2025 Legislative Update: LD 998 sought to remove the permit requirement for employee vehicle storage. The Judiciary Committee voted 10-3 to reject it, maintaining the current permit requirement as a balance between employer property rights and Second Amendment rights.

Prohibited Locations Relevant to Vehicle Travel

Even with a permit or under permitless carry, firearms are prohibited in certain locations. Persons traveling by vehicle should be aware of these restrictions:

State Parks Detail: A concealed handgun may be carried in state parks (including while driving through) only by individuals with a valid concealed handgun permit — permitless carry is not sufficient in state parks. Open carry is never permitted. Firearms (other than concealed handguns with permit) are prohibited between June 1 and Labor Day. Discharge of any weapon is prohibited within 300 feet of any picnic area, camping area, parking area, building, or developed area.

2025 Legislative Update: LD 829 sought to clarify that permitless carriers could also carry concealed in state parks. The Judiciary Committee rejected this proposal, maintaining the permit requirement.

Persons Prohibited from Possessing Firearms

The following persons may not carry a firearm in a vehicle (or anywhere else), regardless of permit status (15 M.R.S. §393; federal law 18 U.S.C. §922):

• Persons convicted of a felony
• Persons convicted of qualifying misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence (15 M.R.S. §393(1-B)) — prohibition expires 5 years after final discharge from sentence if no subsequent convictions
• Persons subject to certain protection from abuse orders
• Persons with dishonorable discharge from the military
• Certain immigration statuses (unlawful aliens)
• Persons on deferred disposition for certain offenses
• Persons subject to certain mental health adjudications (civil involuntary commitment, not guilty by reason of insanity, not competent to stand trial)
• Certain probate adjudications
• Persons subject to conditions of bail, probation, or deferred disposition agreements that prohibit possession
• Certain juvenile adjudications (3-year prohibition or until age 18, whichever is later; 15 M.R.S. §393(1-A))

Law Enforcement Officers (LEOSA)

Active and retired law enforcement officers may carry concealed handguns in vehicles under:

• Active officers: 18 U.S.C. §926B — must possess photographic ID from their employing agency (25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(H))
• Retired officers: 18 U.S.C. §926C — must possess photographic ID and current (within one year) qualification certification (25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(I))

Non-Residents

Maine's permitless carry law applies equally to residents and non-residents. A non-resident who is 21 or older (or 18+ with qualifying military service) and not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded, concealed handgun in a vehicle without a Maine permit.

Additionally, Maine recognizes concealed handgun permits from any state that recognizes Maine's resident permits on a reciprocal basis (25 M.R.S. §2001-A(2)(F)).

Federal Interstate Transport (FOPA)

Under the Firearms Owners' Protection Act (18 U.S.C. §926A), a person may transport a firearm interstate through Maine if:

• The person may lawfully possess the firearm at both the origin and destination;
• The firearm is unloaded; and
• The firearm and ammunition are not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (e.g., locked trunk).

FOPA provides a federal safe-harbor for interstate transport but does not override Maine's more permissive in-state vehicle carry provisions for qualifying individuals.

Key Statutes

Recent Legislative Activity (2025)

The 132nd Maine Legislature's Judiciary Committee considered four bills related to concealed carry in April 2025. All were rejected:

• LD 1049 — Repeal/modify duty to inform law enforcement (rejected 11-2)
• LD 998 — Remove permit requirement for employee vehicle storage (rejected 10-3)
• LD 829 — Clarify permitless concealed carry in state parks (rejected on party lines)
• LD 424 — Lower permitless carry age to 18 for all persons (rejected 7-5)

As of April 2026, Maine's vehicle carry laws remain as established by PL 2015, c. 327.

Sources: Maine State Police (maine.gov/dps/msp), Maine Revised Statutes Titles 12, 15, 17-A, 25, and 26; Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife; Bureau of Parks and Lands rules; Maine Morning Star (April 4, 2025). This summary is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.