Maine Passes Bill Abolishing Permit Requirement for Concealed Carry

On July 8, Maine Governor Paul LaPage (R) signed Legislative Document 652 into law, thereby abolishing the requirement for a concealed carry permit in the state of Maine.

This means Maine joins Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Montana, Vermont and Wyoming in permitless carry.

According to the NRA-ILA, LD 652 had the support of the Maine State Police and leaves a concealed carry permitting system in place for those who want to use it for reciprocal purposes with other states.

Breitbart News previously reported that the legislation to abolish the permit requirement was sponsored by state senator Eric Brakey (R-Auburn). He succeeded by repeatedly reminding his legislative colleagues that the permitting system was cumbersome and even confusing for law-abiding citizens. He continually focused on how open carry without a permit was legal in Maine, but if someone put on a jacket that covered their gun, they were then required to have a permit. This put them in a position of having to wait on state approval before being able to carry a gun with which to defend their lives.

Brakey said, “When someone with a credible death threat against them has to wait for months before they can carry legally and defend themselves with their jacket on, that says it is not working.”

LaPage’s signature came just two days after New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan (D) buckled and vetoed similar legislation under pressure from Michael Bloomberg-funded gun control groups.