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Resident permit · AZ → ME

Is an Arizona Resident Permit Valid in Maine?

Recognized — and permitless carry appliesVerified 2026-08-08

You're covered either way. Maine honors Arizona resident permits, and its permitless-carry law also lets eligible visitors carry without any permit at all.

Why

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 (Arizona)

Permit
Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit (CCW)
Issued by
Arizona Department of Public Safety (Concealed Weapons Permit Unit)
Issue policy
Shall-issue

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

Whatever your permit status, Maine law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.

Off-limits places in Maine

Maine bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:

See all 6 places you can't carry in Maine →

Arizona vs Maine: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Arizona into Maine changes one rule: out-of-state permits honored (All states → 23 states).

RuleArizonaMaine
Permitless carryYes (21+)Yes (21+)
Duty to inform policeNoNo
Magazine limitNoneNone
Out-of-state permits honoredAll states23 states
Open carryYes, no permitYes, no permit

Going the other way, a Maine resident permit in Arizona: recognized — and permitless carry applies.

Driving on from Maine

How an Arizona resident permit fares in the states bordering Maine:

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

See the full 50-state map for an Arizona resident permit →

Frequently asked questions

Does Maine honor an Arizona non-resident permit?
Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. That differs from the resident permit on this page, because Maine treats the two permit types differently.
Can a Maine resident permit holder carry in Arizona?
Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Arizona'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