Resident permit · IN → ME
Is an Indiana Resident Permit Valid in Maine?
Maine says no to the permit and yes to permitless carry. Your Indiana resident permit carries no legal weight there, but eligible adults for adults 21+ may carry concealed without one.
Why
- Indiana 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 (Indiana)
- Permit
- Indiana License to Carry a Handgun (LTCH)
- Issued by
- Indiana State Police
- 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
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Maine, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- 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
Indiana vs Maine: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Indiana into Maine changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes (21+)); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 23 states).
| Rule | Indiana | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | 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 resident permit in Indiana: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Maine
How an Indiana resident permit fares in the states bordering Maine:
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Maine honor an Indiana non-resident permit?
- Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Maine resident permit holder carry in Indiana?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Indiana'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
- IN.gov FAQ - Does Indiana honor handgun licenses from other states? (IC 35-47-2-21(b)) — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Places where carry is illegal even with a valid license — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Handgun carry at Indiana State Parks — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - How do I apply for a handgun license? (ISP issues; online portal) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia General Assembly policy brief (supporting: lists Indiana among the 25 permitless-carry states as of 2022) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Indiana State Police - Permitless Carry website messaging (PDF) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Indiana State Police - Firearms Handgun Licensing Application Fees — accessed 2026-09-27
- Indiana State Police - Apply for a New License to Carry — accessed 2026-09-27