State desk
Ranks 35th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Maine stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 12 Maine outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Maine in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required for concealed carry by adults 21 and older; optional permits available for reciprocity.
Maine is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Maine taxes individual income at graduated rates rising to 7.15 percent across 3 brackets, ranking 10 of 41 among the states that tax income.
Maine is 1 of 26 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate
Maine charges 31.45 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 24 of 50, which is near the middle nationally. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 49.85 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 31.96 cents.
Maine is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest17 · Among the Lowest
Abolished in 1887.
Maine is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
Maine is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $15.10, above the federal $7.25 floor; adjusted annually for inflation.
Maine is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
No ID is required; voters confirm identity by signature or personal information matched against the registration rolls.
Maine is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)
Long-standing town tuitioning lets students in towns without public schools attend approved private schools.
Maine is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL does not list Maine among no-duty-to-retreat states, and does not state a rule for it here. Verify with a primary source before relying on it.
Maine is 1 of 12 states with this rule
31 · No Duty to Retreat7 · Recognized by Court Decision
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot by mail without giving a reason.
Maine is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
Maine's unemployment rate was 3.3% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 0.1 percentage points from 3.2% in August. It ranks 11th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 8th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 3.3%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Chosen by the legislature by joint ballot to a two-year term — the only state that selects its attorney general this way.
Maine is the only state with this rule
43 · Elected by voters5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Appointed by the state supreme court