Maine Restores Carry Reciprocity for Four States, Still No Explanation

Maine State Police quietly restored Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota and Tennessee to the state's concealed-carry reciprocity list after removing them without explanation, the second time this year the agency has altered the list with no public notice.

Snapshot

Bearing Arms writer Tom Knighton reports that the four states reappeared on Maine's reciprocity page after he previously documented their removal in a piece titled "Maine Quietly Drops Permit Reciprocity With Four States That Still Honor Its Permit, and Nobody Has Said Why." Maine State Police told Knighton it would look into the matter but never followed up, either on the removal or the reversal.

Key points

• States restored: Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota and Tennessee are back on Maine's official reciprocity list after being dropped without explanation.
• Law never changed: Knighton notes Maine's recognition is set by statute, not negotiated agreements, and state law requires Maine to honor permits from states that honor Maine's permit, which all four still did throughout.
• No answers given: Maine State Police's Weapons and Professional Licensing Unit said it would investigate but never responded to Knighton or to USA Carry's Luke McCoy, who also sought clarification.
• Mistake or something else: Knighton says it's unclear whether the removal was an administrative error or a deliberate attempt to discourage carriers from those states, calling the explanation "clear as mud."

Quick take

Knighton says he's hopeful no one was wrongly arrested over the discrepancy, but the episode underscores why carriers shouldn't rely solely on official lists or third-party trackers like USA Carry. If you're carrying across state lines, the law is the backstop, not a website, and you're the one who answers for it in court.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com