§ 12 §11154 — Moose permit

1.
Permit required.
Except as otherwise provided in this Part, a person may not hunt or possess a moose unless that person has a valid permit issued under this section. A person without a moose permit may possess moose parts lawfully sold under section 11217, subsection 2, paragraph D.
2.
Issuance of moose hunting permits.
In accordance with section 11552, the commissioner may issue moose hunting permits and may establish the number of moose hunting permits to be issued for each wildlife management district established by the commissioner by rule open to moose hunting. No more than 8% of the moose hunting permits may be issued to nonresidents. No more than 2% of the moose hunting permits may be issued to hunting outfitters in accordance with subsection 14.
3.
Moose hunting permit fee.
The fee for a moose hunting permit is $52 for a resident and $585 for a nonresident.
4.
Hunting license required.
While hunting moose, the permittee and the subpermittee shall each have in that person's possession a valid Maine resident or nonresident hunting or archery hunting license, whichever is applicable.
5.
(TEXT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1/01/26) Eligibility.
Except as provided in this subsection, a resident or nonresident who is eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license or who will be eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license by the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit. A person who has obtained a moose hunting permit is ineligible to obtain another permit until the 4th calendar year after the issuance of the last permit. This limitation does not apply to subpermittees under subsection 7. A person under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit and may accrue points under subsection 8 but is ineligible to receive a moose hunting permit.
5.
(TEXT EFFECTIVE 1/01/26) Eligibility.
Except as provided in this subsection, a resident or nonresident who is eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license or who will be eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license by the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit. A person who has obtained a moose hunting permit is ineligible to obtain another permit until the 4th calendar year after the issuance of the last permit. This limitation does not apply to subpermittees under subsection 7 or transferors and transferees under subsection 16. A person under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit and may accrue points under subsection 8 but is ineligible to receive a moose hunting permit.
6.
Application procedure.
An eligible person wishing to apply for a permit must file an application for a permit on a form furnished by the commissioner. The application fee is nonrefundable. A person may not file more than one application. A person who submits more than one application is disqualified from the selection of permittees. The application must be accompanied by an application fee of:
7.
Subpermittees.
An applicant for a moose permit may indicate on the application filed pursuant to subsection 6 the name of a subpermittee-designate and the name of an alternate subpermittee-designate. A person under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season may not be a subpermittee-designate or alternate subpermittee-designate. If the applicant is issued a moose permit under subsection 9 and upon application to the commissioner, the permittee may change that person's subpermittee-designate or alternate subpermittee-designate until 30 days prior to the start of the moose hunting season for which the permit was issued. Thirty days prior to the start of the applicable moose hunting season, the subpermittee-designate becomes a subpermittee. The permittee may authorize the subpermittee to participate in the moose hunt with the permittee. The permittee may authorize the alternate subpermittee-designate to participate in the hunt in place of the subpermittee-designate if the permittee notifies the department of the authorization at least 5 business days prior to the first day of the moose season, in which case the alternate subpermittee-designate becomes the subpermittee. The permittee may choose not to authorize a subpermittee to participate in the hunt.
8.
Point system for public chance drawing.
A person accumulates points as follows for each consecutive year that person purchases an application for a moose hunting permit but is not selected to receive a permit:
9.
Selection procedure.
Permittees are selected by a public chance drawing, except that a permit must be issued to any resident who is 65 years of age or older or will attain 65 years of age during the calendar year in which the resident is applying for the permit, who has accumulated at least 30 points pursuant to subsection 8 and who applies for and is otherwise eligible to obtain the permit.
9-A.
Permits in road safety management areas.
10.
Questionnaire.
11.
Auction of moose hunting permits to fund youth conservation education programs.
Notwithstanding subsection 1, the commissioner may issue not more than 10 moose hunting permits each year through public auction in accordance with this subsection.
12.
Persons in armed forces called to serve in armed conflict.
A person who is issued a moose permit under this section and who is subsequently called to active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States to serve in an armed conflict and is unable to use the permit is entitled to use the same permit during the next appropriate season following that person's return to the State. Permits used under this subsection do not affect the number of permits that may be issued by the commissioner under this section. For purposes of this subsection, "armed conflict" means any military action in which participants are exposed to war-risk hazards as defined in 42 United States Code, Section 1711(b).
13.
Hunting adventure permits for children.
Notwithstanding subsection 6, the commissioner may issue 5 moose permits to a nonprofit organization or organizations dedicated to providing hunting and fishing adventures to children under 21 years of age with life-threatening, critical or terminal illnesses. At least 3 of the permits issued under this subsection must be issued to an eligible nonprofit organization based in the State, and a child who receives a permit from that organization must be a resident. The commissioner may issue these permits upon written request by an eligible nonprofit organization or organizations but may not issue more than 5 permits in total for a calendar year. These permits are in addition to the moose hunting permits issued under subsection 2 for each wildlife management district and are at no cost to the organization.
14.
Permits for hunting lodges.
Moose hunting permits issued to hunting outfitters must be allocated through a chance drawing separate from the chance drawing under subsection 9. The fee for a moose hunting permit under this subsection is $1,500.
15.
Moose permit transfer; family members.
The commissioner, in cases involving exceptional extenuating circumstances as determined by the commissioner, may authorize a person who holds a valid moose permit to transfer that permit to a family member who meets the eligibility and permit requirements under this section and who is not otherwise prohibited from holding the moose permit, except that the commissioner shall transfer a moose permit to a family member who meets the eligibility and permit requirements under this section and who is not otherwise prohibited from holding the moose permit if the permit holder dies at any time prior to or during the moose hunting season if a moose has not yet been harvested under that permit. A transferor and a transferee are subject to the elimination of any accumulated points under subsection 8 and the 3-year ineligibility period under subsection 5. For purposes of this subsection, "family member" means the transferor's spouse, domestic partner, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, sibling or stepgrandchild; the transferor's sibling's child; the transferor's spouse's sibling's child; or the transferor's parent's sibling or that sibling's spouse.
16.
(TEXT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1/01/26) Moose permit transfer; disabled veterans.
A person who holds a valid moose permit may transfer, in accordance with this subsection, that permit to a disabled veteran who meets the eligibility and permit requirements under this section and section 10853, subsection 4 and who is not otherwise prohibited from holding a moose permit. The commissioner may authorize a permit holder to transfer the moose permit to a disabled veteran identified by the permit holder or the permit holder may return the permit to the department, which, in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner, shall provide for the transfer of the permit to a disabled veteran. A transferor and a transferee of the permit are subject to the elimination of any accumulated points under subsection 8 and the 3-year ineligibility period under subsection 5. Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
16.
(TEXT EFFECTIVE 1/01/26) Moose permit transfer; disabled veterans.
A person who holds a valid moose permit may transfer, in accordance with this subsection, that permit to a disabled veteran who meets the eligibility and permit requirements under this section and section 10853, subsection 4 and who is not otherwise prohibited from holding a moose permit. The commissioner may authorize a permit holder to transfer the moose permit to a disabled veteran identified by the permit holder or the permit holder may return the permit to the department, which, in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner, shall provide for the transfer of the permit to a disabled veteran. A transferor and a transferee of the permit are subject to the elimination of any accumulated points under subsection 8. Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
17.
Moose permit deferment; significant medical illness.
The commissioner may authorize a person who holds a valid moose permit to defer the permit until the next moose hunting season in circumstances in which the permit holder or an immediate family member, as defined in subsection 15, of the permit holder has a significant medical illness that would prevent the permit holder from participating in the moose hunt.
18.
Moose permit deferment; multiple permits in single household.
The commissioner may authorize a person who holds a valid moose permit to defer the permit until the next moose hunting season in circumstances in which a member of that permit holder's household also holds a valid moose permit for the same hunting season. For the purposes of this subsection, members of a household are limited to a spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling and stepgrandchild sharing the same legal address. Under this subsection, the person is ineligible to be selected for another moose permit in accordance with subsection 5 beginning in the calendar year that the person uses a permit deferred.

Legislative History

PL 2003, c. 414, §A2 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 414, §D7 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 655, §§B125-129 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 655, §B422 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §§III9,10 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 143, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 161, §1 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 186, §4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. OO, §7 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 370, §§4-9 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 226, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 538, §24 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 95, §1 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 136, §11 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 136, §12 (AFF). PL 2015, c. 281, Pt. E, §9 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 72, §2 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 76, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 96, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 427, §§11-14 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 427, §19 (AFF). PL 2017, c. 458, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 143, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 191, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 638, §2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 184, §§3-5 (AMD). RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §75 (COR). PL 2023, c. 127, §1 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 526, §1 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 126, §§2, 3 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 132, §4 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 289, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 289, §3 (AFF).