Does Maine have a law banning masks for law enforcement officers? | Fact brief

Maine does not have a law prohibiting law enforcement officers from wearing masks — but that could change.

Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, has submitted a proposal to ban officers from wearing masks that conceal their identities. The Legislative Council will decide whether the measure, known as LR 2591, can be brought to the floor for a vote in the next session, which begins in January.

California is the only state that has passed such a ban so far. Its “No Secret Police Act,” which bans federal and local law enforcement from wearing ski masks and “similar extreme masks,” takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, but is expected to face legal challenges. Experts have questioned whether the state can enforce the law against federal officers without congressional action.

Other states, including Massachusetts and New York, have introduced similar bills targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, but none has become law.