Maine Code § 17-3204

Business, traveling or recreation on Sunday
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1. Restriction. A person may not keep a place of business open to the public:
A. On Sunday, except:
(1) For works of necessity, emergency or charity; or
(2) Between the hours of noon and 5:00 p.m. on Sundays falling between Thanksgiving Day
and Christmas Day; or [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2
(AFF).]
B. On the following holidays:
(1) On Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, but if the Federal Government designates May
30th as the date for observance of Memorial Day, the 30th of May;
(2) On July 4th;
(3) On Labor Day, the first Monday of September;
(4) On Veterans' Day, November 11th;
(5) On Christmas Day; and
(6) On Thanksgiving Day. [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X,
§2 (AFF).]
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
2. Exceptions. This section does not apply to:
A. Common, contract and private carriers; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c.
452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
B. Taxicabs; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
C. Airplanes; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
D. Newspapers; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
E. Radio and television stations; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X,
§2 (AFF).]
F. Hotels, motels, rooming houses, tourist and trailer camps; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW);
PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
G. Restaurants; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
H. Garages and motor vehicle service stations; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003,
c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
I. Retail monument dealers; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2
(AFF).]
J. Automatic laundries; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2
(AFF).]

K. Machines that vend anything of value, including, but not limited to, a product, money or service;
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
L. A satellite facility approved by the Superintendent of Financial Institutions under Title 9-B; or
comparable facility approved by the appropriate federal authority; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55
(NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
M. Pharmacies; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
N. Greenhouses; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
O. Seasonal stands engaged in sale of farm produce, dairy products, seafood or Christmas trees;
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
P. Public utilities; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
Q. Industries normally kept in continuous operation, including, but not limited to, electric
generation plants, pulp and paper plants and textile plants; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW);
PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
R. Processing plants handling agricultural produce or products of the sea; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt.
I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
S. Ship chandleries; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
T. Marinas; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
U. Establishments primarily selling boats, boating equipment, sporting equipment, souvenirs and
novelties; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
V. Motion picture theaters; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2
(AFF).]
W. Public dancing; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
X. Sports and athletic events; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2
(AFF).]
Y. Bowling alleys; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
Z. Displaying or exploding fireworks, under Title 8, chapter 9-A; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55
(NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
AA. Musical concerts; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
BB. Religious, educational, scientific or philosophical lectures; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55
(NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
CC. Scenic, historic, recreational and amusement facilities; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW);
PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
DD. Real estate brokers and real estate sales representatives; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW);
PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
EE. Mobile home brokers and mobile home sales representatives; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55
(NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
FF. Stores in which no more than 5 persons, including the proprietor, are employed in the usual
and regular conduct of business; [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X,
§2 (AFF).]
GG. Stores that have no more than 5,000 square feet of interior customer selling space, excluding
back room storage, office and processing space; and [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL
2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]

HH. Stores with more than 5,000 square feet of interior customer selling space that engage in retail
sales and that do not require, as a condition of employment, that their employees work on Sundays.
If an employer decreases the average weekly work hours of an employee who has declined to work
on Sundays, it is prima facie evidence that the employer has required Sunday work as a condition
of employment in violation of this section, unless the employer and employee agreed that the
employee would work on Sundays when the employee was initially hired. In no event, however,
may any store having more than 5,000 square feet of interior customer selling space be open on
Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL
2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
[PL 2025, c. 43, §1 (AMD).]
3. Scope. For the purpose of determining qualification, a "store" is an operation conducted within
one building advertising as, and representing itself to the public to be, one business enterprise regardless
of internal departmentalization. All subleased departments of any store for the purpose of this section
are considered to be operated by the store in which they are located. Contiguous stores owned by the
same proprietor or operated by the same management for the purpose of this section are considered to
be a single store.
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
4. Penalty. A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime. A violation of this section
is a strict liability crime as defined in Title 17-A, section 34, subsection 4-A. A complaint charging
violation of this section may not issue later than 5 days after its alleged commission.
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
5. Injunctive relief. In addition to any criminal penalties provided in this section, the Attorney
General, a district attorney or any resident of a municipality in which a violation is claimed to have
occurred may file a complaint with the Superior Court to enjoin any violation of this section. The
Superior Court has original jurisdiction of these complaints and authority to enjoin these violations.
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
6. Application. This section does not apply to isolated or occasional sales by persons not engaged
in the sale, transfer or exchange of property as a business.
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. I, §55 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]

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