Maine
Maine has no general filming permit, just a registration form with the Maine Film Office; state parks go through the Bureau of Parks and Lands, which also bans drones.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Maine Film Office (Department of Economic and Community Development)
Cost: No state permit fee; location costs vary by property and locality, see the film office
Maine does not require a general filming permit. The Maine Film Office asks productions to complete a Maine Media Production Registration form before shooting, and it acts as the liaison to other state agencies. Cities such as Portland issue their own park and right-of-way permits. The layer photographers actually hit is the Bureau of Parks and Lands (Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry), which manages Maine's state parks and historic sites; the film office asks productions shooting in any state park to contact it first, and commercial activity in parks may need a Special Activity Permit. Acadia is a national park and permits separately under NPS rules.
Drone / airspace
Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107; drones are prohibited in Maine State Parks without a Special Activity Permit
The Bureau of Parks and Lands bans general drone use in state parks, historic sites, and DACF boat launches unless flown under law enforcement oversight or a Special Activity Permit. For Part 107 and state drone law, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes: you can photograph what is visible from public space in the US
Private property sets its own rules regardless of state law.
Practical notes
- Acadia National Park follows NPS and EXPLORE Act rules, not Maine state rules; do not assume the state's no-permit posture applies there.
- Lighthouses are a patchwork: some are state park land, some Coast Guard, some private or nonprofit-run, and each controls its own commercial access.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: