An Act to Eliminate Background Checks for Private Sales of Firearms
Summary
LD 1062 would repeal Maine’s current requirement that private firearm sales be completed through a federally licensed firearms dealer with a background check. Under the bill, the existing statutory framework adopted in 2023 for certain private transfers would be removed, and private sellers would no longer be required to use a dealer as a facilitator for those transactions. The bill’s stated purpose is to eliminate background checks for private sales of firearms.
As drafted, the measure would significantly change Maine’s firearms transfer laws by undoing the private-sale background check process and the associated dealer-facilitated transaction requirement. It would affect private sellers, prospective buyers, and federally licensed firearms dealers who currently serve as intermediaries and conduct National Instant Criminal Background Check System checks for covered transactions. The bill would also remove the ability of dealers to charge a facilitation fee for those private transfers.
The voting history suggests the bill was controversial and did not attract majority support in the Legislature. Multiple votes on June 12 and June 13, 2025, show attempts to advance or accept an “ought not to pass” report, with close margins in some instances, indicating a divided chamber and sustained debate over the proposal. The overall sentiment reflected in the votes appears to lean against the bill, though the close tallies suggest substantial support from lawmakers favoring fewer restrictions on private firearm sales.
The main point of contention is whether private gun sales should remain subject to background checks and dealer involvement. Supporters of the bill likely view the current law as an unnecessary burden on lawful private transfers and on gun owners’ ability to sell firearms without state-imposed intermediaries. Opponents likely argue that eliminating background checks for private sales would weaken firearm-purchase screening and reduce safeguards intended to prevent prohibited persons from obtaining guns. The bill’s title and the negative committee-vote outcomes indicate that firearms regulation and public safety were central issues in the debate.
Impact
The bill would repeal or amend the Maine statutes enacted in 2023 governing background checks for certain private firearm sales, removing the requirement that those transactions be processed through a federally licensed firearms dealer and checked through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This would directly affect private firearm sellers and buyers, as well as licensed dealers who currently facilitate and verify these transactions, and would eliminate the related dealer fee authority.
Sentiment
The available voting record indicates the bill faced opposition and did not gain majority support, with repeated votes to accept an “ought not to pass” report. At the same time, the close margins on some votes suggest the issue was politically divided, with a meaningful bloc of lawmakers supporting the bill’s effort to loosen private-sale restrictions on firearms.
Contention
The central dispute is over whether Maine should keep background checks and dealer facilitation for private firearm sales. Supporters of LD 1062 likely argued that the current requirement is burdensome and unnecessary for lawful gun owners, while opponents likely emphasized public safety and the risk that removing background checks would allow prohibited purchasers to obtain firearms more easily. The close votes show that both positions had significant legislative support, but the prevailing sentiment in the recorded actions was against repeal.