Firearm Safety Training and Concealed Carry Permit
Solution Needed
Maine needs legislation to ensure that only trained gun owners are permitted to carry a concealed handgun. Firearm safety training and concealed weapon permits should be required. Scroll down for status of our current law and its consequences.
Explanation of the issue
Only a handful of states require firearm safety training to ensure that a gun owner knows how to safely handle, use, store and transport a gun. Maine does not. In fact, Maine has no training requirement, even for concealed or open carry of a firearm. Maine residents may obtain a concealed carry permit, which allows for concealed carry in states that provide reciprocity. This optional permit requires demonstration of the competence with a firearm, which may be shown through the completion of a firearm safety course.
Consequences of the current law
Maine does not require that an individual receive any training for purchasing or carrying a gun other than acknowledging receipt of a firearm safety brochure at the time of purchase. Furthermore, an individual may carry a concealed handgun without a permit so long as they are 21 (although a person who is 18 and has military training may also carry a concealed handgun). The only notable restrictions on adults carrying guns in Maine are that the law does not permit individuals to own a firearm who are otherwise prohibited, primarily due to an adjudicated matter such as a felony conviction or protection from domestic abuse order, and no guns are permitted in certain locations such as schools, courthouses, and the State House in Augusta.
As a result, in Maine you may obtain a lethal weapon without a background check and without any firearm safety training, and may carry the weapon in public without a permit, in effect without encountering any critical safeguards that protect the public. States that require a permit to carry a concealed weapon saw a reduction in homicide rates.