Maine Code § 17-A-509

False public alarm or report; aggravated false public alarm or report
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1. A person is guilty of false public alarm or report if:
A. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to a law enforcement
officer, an emergency communications center or the 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter
352 with the intent of inducing the officer, the emergency communications center or any other
emergency services personnel to believe that a crime has been committed or that another has
committed a crime, knowing the information to be false; [PL 2025, c. 167, §2 (AMD).]
B. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to a law enforcement
officer, a member of a firefighting agency, including a volunteer fire department, an emergency
communications center, the 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter 352 or any other person
knowing that the other person is likely to communicate the information to a law enforcement
officer, a member of a firefighting agency, an emergency communications center or any other
emergency services personnel concerning a fire, explosive or other similar substance that is capable
of endangering the safety of persons, knowing that the information is false, or knowing that the
person has no information relating to the fire, explosive or other similar substance; or [PL 2025,
c. 167, §3 (AMD).]
C. The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information concerning an emergency
to an ambulance service, an emergency communications center, the 9-1-1 services established in
Title 25, chapter 352, any other emergency services personnel or a government agency or public
utility that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property, with the intent of inducing
the service, personnel, agency, center or utility to respond to the reported emergency, knowing the
information to be false. [PL 2025, c. 167, §4 (AMD).]
A violation of this subsection is a Class D crime.
For the purposes of this subsection, "emergency communications center" means a state, county or
municipal government entity that receives calls by 9-1-1, business lines, radio or other methods
requesting public service or emergency response from public safety agencies and, as appropriate,

dispatches requests to public safety agencies and assists in coordinating the response between agencies
and other specialized professionals.
[PL 2025, c. 167, §§2-4 (AMD).]
2.
[PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (RP).]
3. A person is guilty of aggravated false public alarm or report if the person violates subsection 1
and the violation causes the evacuation, shutdown or lockdown of a building, school, public square or
park, place of assembly or public transportation facility.
A violation of this subsection is a Class C crime.
[PL 2023, c. 430, §1 (NEW).]

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