§ 12 §10902 — Suspension or revocation of or refusal to issue license or permit

1.
Conviction or adjudication of violation.
Any conviction, adjudication, deferred disposition pursuant to Title 17‑A, section 1902, subsection 1 or written filing agreement with the State pursuant to the Maine Rules of Unified Criminal Procedure, Rule 11B for a violation of this Part is grounds for suspension of any license or permit issued under this Part. Except when provided by law, the commissioner shall determine the suspension period. To suspend a license or permit based upon a conviction or adjudication, the commissioner shall follow the procedures under section 10903. A suspension or revocation of a license by the District Court is subject to the provisions of subsection 5.
2.
Refusal to issue license or permit.
If a person is convicted, is adjudicated, enters into a deferred disposition pursuant to Title 17‑A, section 1902, subsection 1 or enters into a written filing agreement with the State pursuant to the Maine Rules of Unified Criminal Procedure, Rule 11B in violation of any provision of this Part and is not the holder of a valid license or permit issued under this Part, the commissioner may refuse to issue a related license or permit to that person for up to 5 years following the date of conviction or adjudication, except when the killing or wounding of a human being has occurred, in which case the commissioner may refuse to issue the license or permit for a period of not less than 5 years.
3.
Failure to pay fine; reinstatement fee.
If a license, permit or registration is suspended pursuant to this section or Title 14, section 3142, the suspension remains in effect until the person pays the fine and the reinstatement fee under subsection 11. For the purposes of this subsection, "fine" has the same meaning as in Title 14, section 3141, subsection 1.
4.
Mandatory revocation of all licenses issued by the department.
A person's license must be revoked under the following circumstances.
5.
Hunting license revocation or suspension for endangerment or harm to another.
The commissioner may bring a complaint in the District Court seeking to revoke or suspend the current hunting license or the privilege to obtain a hunting license of any person whom the commissioner reasonably believes to have killed, wounded or recklessly endangered the safety of another human being while hunting in this State or another jurisdiction. The District Court shall revoke or suspend the person's license or privilege for a period of at least 5 years if the court finds that the person, while hunting, has killed, wounded or recklessly endangered the safety of another human being and the public safety will be endangered by the person's retention of that license or privilege. For the purpose of this subsection, "recklessly" has the same meaning as that set out in Title 17‑A, section 35, subsection 3.
6.
Mandatory hunting license revocation for certain violations.
The commissioner shall suspend a person's hunting license for at least one year and may suspend any other license issued under this Part and held by that person if that person is convicted of:
6-A.
Mandatory hunting license revocation when using a suppressor.
The commissioner shall suspend a person's hunting license for at least 3 years if that person is convicted of any violation listed in subsection 6 and found to have been in possession, at the time of the offense, of a firearm with a device used to suppress or deaden the sound or natural report of the firearm.
7.
Mandatory hunting license revocation; coyote hunting violation.
A hunting license of a person convicted of hunting coyote in violation of section 11160 or 12001 must be revoked and that person is ineligible to obtain any hunting license for a period of one year from the date of conviction.
7-A.
Hunting with night vision equipment or thermal imaging device.
A hunting license of a person convicted of night hunting in violation of section 11206, subsection 1 and found to have been in possession of night vision equipment or a thermal imaging device at the time of the offense must be revoked, and that person is ineligible to obtain a hunting license for a period of 5 years from the date of conviction.
7-B.
Destroying or defacing property posting signs.
A license, permit or registration issued by the department in effect at the time a person is convicted of destroying, tearing down, defacing or otherwise damaging a property posting sign in violation of section 10652, subsection 1, paragraph A must be revoked, and that person is ineligible to obtain any license, permit or registration issued by the department for a period of one year from the date of conviction.
7-C.
Hunting deer over bait.
A hunting license of a person adjudicated of placing or hunting over bait in violation of section 11452, subsection 1 must be revoked, and that person is ineligible to obtain a hunting license as follows:
7-D.
Civil trespass with hunting dog.
The commissioner shall revoke the dog training and hunting permit of a person convicted or adjudicated of civil trespass with a hunting dog in violation of section 10657‑A, and that person is ineligible to obtain a dog training and hunting permit under section 11163 as follows:
8.
Mandatory revocation of fishing license.
The commissioner shall suspend a person's fishing license for at least one year and may suspend any other license issued under this Part and held by that person if that person is convicted or adjudicated of:
9.
Discretionary suspension for certain ATV violations; training.
The commissioner may suspend all licenses, permits and registrations issued by the department pursuant to this Part to any person convicted or adjudicated of:
10.
Mandatory suspension for certain ATV, snowmobile and watercraft violations.
The commissioner shall suspend for at least one year all licenses, permits and registrations issued by the department pursuant to this Part to any person convicted or adjudicated of:
11.
Reinstatement fee.
A person who has had a license, permit or registration suspended or revoked pursuant to this section or Title 14, section 3142 must pay a $50 reinstatement fee, and a suspension or revocation remains in effect until the person pays the fee. The reinstatement fee must be deposited into the Landowner Relations Fund established in section 10265.

Legislative History

RR 2003, c. 2, §19 (COR). PL 2003, c. 414, §A2 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 414, §D7 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 592, §2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 592, §5 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 655, §§B97-103 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 655, §§B422,C5,6 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 695, §B8 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 695, §C1 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 397, §E3 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 477, §3 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 626, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 253, §§13-17 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 309, §1 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. A, §§7, 8 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 280, §§3-5 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 358, §2 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 375, §3 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 538, §§3-11 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 50, §2 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 202, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 355, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 452, §8 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 630, §2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 54, §§3-5 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 100, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 100, §13 (AFF). PL 2021, c. 112, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 411, §§2, 3 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 580, §§3-6 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 599, §2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 265, §§1, 2 (AMD). RR 2023, c. 2, Pt. A, §21 (COR). PL 2025, c. 132, §3 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 343, §§1-4 (AMD).