An Act to Allow Municipalities to Prohibit Firearms Within Their
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1743
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: ARFORD, DUSON
Amends: 25 MRSA §2011, 30-A MRSA §3015

Legislative Document
No. 1743
H.P. 1161
House of Representatives, April 22, 2025
An Act to Allow Municipalities to Prohibit Firearms Within Their 
Municipal Buildings and Voting Places and at Their Municipal 
Public Proceedings
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARFORD of Brunswick.
Cosponsored by Senator DUSON of Cumberland and
Representatives: BECK of South Portland, BRIDGEO of Augusta, CLOUTIER of Lewiston, 
KUHN of Falmouth, MOONEN of Portland, ROLLINS of Augusta, Senators: CARNEY of 
Cumberland, TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2011, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 359, is amended to 
read:
3.  Exception.  This section does not prohibit an order, ordinance, rule or regulation of 
any political subdivision which that, with the exception of appropriate civil penalty 
provisions, conforms exactly with any applicable provision of state law or which; that 
regulates the discharge of firearms within a jurisdiction; or that regulates the possession of 
firearms within a municipality's buildings and voting places and at municipal public 
proceedings within a municipality in accordance with Title 30-A, section 3015.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §3015 is enacted to read:
§3015.  Regulation of firearms within municipality's buildings and voting places and 
at municipal public proceedings
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in accordance with this section, 
a municipality may adopt an order, ordinance, policy or regulation that limits or prohibits 
the possession of firearms within the municipality's buildings and voting places and at 
municipal public proceedings within the municipality.
1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, 
the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Firearm" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 12-A.
B. "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, 
subsection 17.
C. "Municipal public proceeding" means the transactions of any functions affecting 
any citizens of the State by any board, commission, agency or authority of any 
municipality or other political or administrative subdivision of a municipality.
D. "Voting place" has the same meaning as in Title 21-A, section 1, subsection 49.
2. Scope.  An order, ordinance, policy or regulation adopted by a municipality pursuant 
to this section must designate by common name and physical address all buildings and 
voting places to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, which may include 
buildings owned, leased, rented or otherwise occupied by the municipality and buildings 
used temporarily as voting places or as venues for its municipal public proceedings held 
within the municipality.  Use of such buildings, or part of such buildings, by other private 
or public entities does not preclude the applicability of the order, ordinance, policy or 
regulation.  For a municipal public proceeding that is conducted in a part of a nonmunicipal 
building, the limitation or prohibition does not extend to those nonmunicipal parts or users 
of the building.  The order, ordinance, policy or regulation may impose a civil penalty of 
not more than $1,000 per violation of the order, ordinance, policy or regulation.
3. Exceptions.  An order, ordinance, policy or regulation adopted by a municipality 
pursuant to this section must provide an exception to allow a federal, state, county or local 
law enforcement officer to possess a firearm in the municipality's buildings and its voting 
places and at municipal public proceedings and may not regulate the possession of a firearm 
on school property in a manner that conflicts with the prohibition in Title 20-A, section 
6552.
4. Posting.  If a municipality adopts an order, ordinance, policy or regulation pursuant 
to this section, it shall post, in a prominent location outside of all buildings and other places 
to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, notice of the limitation or 
prohibition against the possession of firearms, including any adopted exceptions to the 
limitation or prohibition.
SUMMARY
This bill permits a municipality to adopt an order, ordinance, policy or regulation that 
limits or prohibits the possession of firearms within its buildings and voting places and at 
municipal public proceedings within the municipality; if adopted, the order, ordinance, 
policy or regulation may impose a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation.  The 
bill provides an exception to allow a federal, state, county or local law enforcement officer 
to possess firearms in a municipality's buildings and voting places and at municipal public 
proceedings within the municipality.  If a municipality adopts such an order, ordinance, 
policy or regulation, it is required to post, in a prominent location outside of all buildings 
and other places to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, notice of the 
limitation or prohibition against the possession of firearms, including any adopted 
exceptions to the limitation or prohibition.  For a municipal public proceeding that is 
conducted in a part of a nonmunicipal building, the limitation or prohibition does not extend 
to those nonmunicipal parts or users of the building.  The bill also establishes a definition 
for "municipal public proceeding."