An Act Regarding the Sale of Weapo"ns at Gun Shows Reference to the Coinmittee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0814
Sponsors: BLODGETT, CRAVEN, BERRY, BRIGGS, CROCKETT, MAGNAN, RUSSELL, STEVENS, BARTLETT, GERZOFSKY
Amends: 25 MRSA §2013

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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STATE LAIN LlBRARV 
AUGUST/'.\, i\;]i-::,ff"JF 
124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document -
No. 814 
H.P.550 
House of Representatives, March 3, 2009 
An Act Regarding the Sale of Weapo"ns at Gun Shows 
Reference to the Coinmittee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative BLODGETT of Augusta. 
Cosponsored by Senator CRAVEN of Androscoggin and 
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"MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, BRIGGS of Mexico, CROCKETT of Augusta, 
MAGNAN of Stockton Springs, RUSSELL of Portland, STEVENS of Bangor, Senators: 
BARTLETT of Cumberland, GERZOFSKY of Cumberland. 
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2013 is enacted to read: 
§2013. Operation of gun show 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following tenns have the following meanings. 
A. "Gun show" means an event or function: 
. 
(1) Whose purpose is to facilitate the purchase and sale of flteanns; 
(2) At which 3 or more vendors of fIreanns offer flreanns for sale; and 
(3) At which 25 or more fIreanns are offered for sale. 
B. "Licensed fIreaDns dealer" means a person who is licensed pursuant to 18 United 
States Code, Section 923 as a frreanns dealer. 
C. 
"National instant criminal background check" means the background check 
established under Section 103 of the federal Brady Handgun Violence Prevention 
Act, PublicLaw 103-159. 
2. Background checks at gun shows; liability of gun show operator. A flreann 
may not be sold or transferred at a gun show unless the seller or transferor conducts a 
national instant criminal background check of the purchaser or transferee. Each sale or 
transfer made without the required national instant criminal background check is a 
violation of this section by the gun show operator and is subject to subsection 4. 
3. Gun show operator. The gun show operator shall: 
A. At all times during the gun show conspicuously post and maintain signs stating: 
"A national instant criminal background check must be completed prior 
to all flreann sales or transfers, including sales or transfers of rifles or 
shotguns." 
Signs must be posted at all entrances to the gun show and at all places where 
admission tickets to the gun show are sold; 
B. Notify in writing all flreanns vendors at the gun show that a national instant 
criminal background check must be completed prior to all fIreann sales or transfers; 
and 
C. Provide access by an unlicensed seller or tfClnsferor of fIreanns at the gun show to 
at least one licensed flreanns dealer at the gun show who will undertake a national 
instant criminal background check on behalf of the unlicensed seller or transferor at 
cost. A licensed fIrearms dealer who perfonns a national instant criminal background 
check pursuant to this paragraph shall provide the unlicensed seller or transferor of 
the fIreann with a copy of the United States Department of Treasury, Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco and Fireanns, Fonn 4473. The licensed fIreanns dealer shall retain 
the completed fonn for a period of 10 years and make it available for inspection by 
law enforcement agencies. 
Page I - 124LR13S2(Ol)-1 
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4. Penalty. A gun show operator who violates subsection 2 commits a civil violation 
for which a fine ofnoimore than $10,000 may be adjudged. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that a national instant criminal background check be performed 
prior to the sale or transfer of a firearm at a gun show. The bill makes a gun show 
operator responsible for any failure to perform a required background check and subject 
to a fine of up to $10,000 for each such failure. The bill also requires gun show operators 
to post signs at gun shows and notify exhibitors of the background check requirement and 
to provide unlicensed sellers and transferors with access to licensed sellers and transferors 
who will undertake the required background checks.