Maine's "yellow flag" gun law has been used more than 1,000 times in the past five years, according to public safety officials.

State lawmakers passed the law in 2019 after negotiations between gun control advocates, gun owners' rights groups, Gov. Janet Mills and a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The yellow flag law allows police to seek an "extreme risk protection order" from a judge to temporarily confiscate firearms from those who pose a danger to themselves or others. Before that can happen, however, police must take the person into protective custody and have them evaluated by a mental health professional.

Use of the yellow flag process increased dramatically following the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that left 18 people dead. Police did not use the yellow flag process

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