ME LD 1585 (FR limitation)
Maine LD 1585 — Statewide Limitation on Government Facial Surveillance (P.L. 2021 ch. 394)
ME · P.L. 2021 ch. 394 (Me. LD 1585)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- October 1, 2021
- Applies to
- Maine state and local government agencies
- Enforced by
- Maine Attorney General + private right of action
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.
Who is protected: Maine residents from government facial recognition surveillance
Legal 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.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | ME |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | June 30, 2021 |
| Citation | P.L. 2021 ch. 394 (Me. LD 1585) |
| 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 |
| Statute | Maine Passes Statewide Facial Recognition Ban — IAPP |
Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Bristol VA PD facial recognition program (first VA local agency) · In effect
- Dallas PD Clearview AI facial recognition policy · 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
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