Maine red-flag law set to take effect Feb. 21, 2026, affecting Sagadahoc residents

Maine's new red-flag extreme risk protection order law will become operational on Feb. 21, 2026, creating a new legal route for family members and others to ask a court for a temporary weapons-restraining order. The change shifts part of the process away from the current law enforcement-initiated yellow flag pathway and places new responsibilities on courts, police departments and behavioral health services across Sagadahoc County.

Under the existing yellow flag system, an officer must initiate a petition that triggers a behavioral health evaluation. The red-flag statute, by contrast, permits private parties to seek an emergency order directly from a court to remove or prohibit access to firearms for a defined period. The statute remains inoperative until Feb. 21 and requires funding and administrative steps before it is usable.

State-level implementation work is underway. The Judicial Branch will create and distribute petition forms both in courthouses and online, and will program court systems to accept and track filings when the law becomes active. That technical work will determine how quickly petitions can be filed and how courts will schedule emergency hearings, serve orders and log compliance actions.

Locally, law enforcement leaders say departments will develop training and tailored procedures to integrate the statute into everyday practice. Brunswick Police Chief Scott J. Stewart, who represents Sagadahoc-area law enforcement leadership through the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, has signaled that agencies will need time to train officers and to coordinate with court staff and behavioral health providers. Departments across the county are expected to craft protocols that reflect local staffing, call volumes and existing partnerships with mental health services.

State officials emphasize suicide prevention as a central rationale for the statute and note that effective use depends on interagency coordination. Courts, police and behavioral health providers will need clear lines for sharing information, rapid response for crisis situations and agreed steps for when an evaluation or involuntary treatment referral is appropriate alongside any weapons-restraining order.

For Sagadahoc residents, the change means a new option for relatives, household members and others who believe someone poses an imminent danger to themselves or others. Beginning Feb. 21, petition forms should be available at local courthouses and through Judicial Branch online portals, and local police departments are likely to publish guidance and training timelines in the weeks that follow.

As agencies finalize funding and technical systems, expect announcements from county courts and law enforcement about filing procedures, response protocols and community resources for crisis intervention. The coming weeks will determine how smoothly the new statute moves from law on paper to an operational tool for suicide prevention and public safety in the midcoast community.