Non-Resident permit · TX → ME
Is a Texas Non-Resident Permit Valid in Maine?
Maine never signed on to honor Texas non-resident permits. Its permitless-carry law for adults 21+ is what makes concealed carry possible for eligible visitors — check the eligibility rules before relying on it.
Why
- Texas is not on Maine's official reciprocity list.
- Maine allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Maine recognizes a permit 'issued by another state to its resident' only where that state recognizes Maine's resident permit - non-resident permits are not honored. Extra conditions: permit holders from Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and Virginia must be 21+ (Virginia holders must also carry government-issued photo ID). In practice most visitors 21+ may simply carry permitless.
The permit (Texas)
- Permit
- Texas License to Carry a Handgun (LTC)
- Issued by
- Texas Department of Public Safety (Handgun Licensing Program)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-resident licenses available — Tex. Gov't Code 411.173(a) requires DPS to establish a procedure for legal residents of other states who meet all other eligibility requirements to obtain an LTC.
The destination (Maine)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 23 states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Maine
Your Texas habits may not match Maine's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- Permit holders have no proactive duty to inform. A person carrying WITHOUT a permit under Maine's permitless-carry law must immediately inform the officer that they are carrying a concealed handgun upon any routine stop, detention or arrest.
- Maine sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Maine allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A person 21+ who may legally possess a firearm may keep a loaded concealed handgun in a vehicle without a permit, but if carrying without a permit must immediately inform law enforcement during any stop.
Off-limits places in Maine
Maine bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Courthouses
- Schools and school property
Texas vs Maine: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Texas into Maine changes one rule: out-of-state permits honored (All states → 23 states).
| Rule | Texas | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 23 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Maine non-resident permit in Texas: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Maine
How a Texas non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Maine:
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Maine honor a Texas resident permit?
- Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Maine non-resident permit holder carry in Texas?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Texas's law, not Maine's.
- Where does Maine publish its official reciprocity list?
- Maine publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Maine State Police - Concealed Handgun Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Maine State Police - Concealed Carry in Maine — accessed 2026-08-08
- 25 M.R.S. 2003 - Permits to carry concealed handguns — accessed 2026-08-08
- 25 M.R.S. 2001-A - Threatening display of or carrying concealed weapon — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — State Reciprocity Information (chart NOT updated for SB 706; superseded by statute) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Firearm Carry Act of 2021 (HB 1927 permitless carry) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — LTC Eligibility FAQs (18-20-year-old applicants after FPC v. McCraw) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Laws that Relate to Carrying FAQs (vehicle carry, 46.03 places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Legislature — HB 1927 enrolled text (Penal Code 46.02, 46.03) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Gov't Code 411.173 as amended by Acts 2025 ch. 483 (current statute text) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Legislature — SB 706 (89R) enrolled text, amending Gov't Code 411.173(b), repealing (c)-(d) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Legislature — SB 706 (89R) bill history (signed 2025-06-20, effective 2025-09-01) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Gov't Code 311.005(7) — "state" includes any district, commonwealth, territory — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — 89th Legislation (SB 706 effective September 1, 2025) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — LTC Application FAQs (fee, validity, training) (via Wayback 2025-12-16) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — LTC Training Requirements FAQ (via Wayback 2026-01-17) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — Licensing & Registration (how to apply, fee schedule) (via Wayback 2026-07-04) — accessed 2026-09-27