Maine LD 1585 — Statewide Limitation on Government Facial Surveillance (P.L. 2021 ch. 394)
ME · P.L. 2021 ch. 394 (Me. LD 1585)
Maine LD 1585 is the strictest U.S. state law on government face surveillance — limits use to serious crime investigation via state agency conduit, with logging and a private right of action.
Technical detail
Maine P.L. 2021 ch. 394: limits state and local government use of facial recognition to a defined list of serious crimes; requires queries to be made through the Maine State Bureau of Identification (BMV) as the only conduit; mandates logging; creates a private right of action with statutory damages.
Who is protected: Maine residents from government facial recognition surveillance
Who must comply: Maine state and local government agencies
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | ME |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2021-10-01 |
| Enacted | 2021-06-30 |
| Citation | P.L. 2021 ch. 394 (Me. LD 1585) |
| Enforced by | Maine Attorney General + private right of action |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Statutory damages, attorney's fees |
| Topics | facial recognition · police and surveillance AI · government use of AI |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Maine Passes Statewide Facial Recognition Ban — IAPP ↗ |
More AI rules in ME
- ME LD 307 (vetoed) · Vetoed
Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
- Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg — FR wrongful arrest (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Montgomery County MD Police Directive FC 0627 · In effect
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