Become a Registered Maine Guide

New Applicants

All guide applicants must complete a background check before submitting their application. To start the fingerprint process, visit IdentGO or call 1-855-667-7422 and select “Schedule a New Appointment.” You then need to select “Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Guide License” and follow the instructions. Non-Resident only will also need to print a blank finger print cards to take to the appointment location, through https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/identity-history-summary-request-fd-258-110120/view After having fingerprints taken, the applicant will need to wait 30 days before submitting completed application to the Department. Note: Only applicants that have underlining issues with their background history will receive a letter from Bureau of Warden Service.

Question and Answer Guide for New Applicants

Back to top

Renewal Applicants

Read carefully and complete the renewal application, signing where indicated. Submit the completed application and $135.00 guide license fee to the address on the application. Current first aid is not required to renew a guide license with the following exception: Whitewater guide applicants must submit proof of current CPR and First Aid Certification. A renewal applicant whose guiding authority has been expired for 3 years, must apply as a new guide, and be reexamined.

Question and Answer Guide for Renewal Applicants

Back to top

Examination Process

The exam process for new applicants can take 6 months or more to complete. New applicants must be currently certified by the American Red Cross standard first-aid or any standard first-aid course that meets the criteria established by rule of the commissioner.

Effective October 25, 2023, each new guide applicant must pay a $125.00 fee for each classification to be examined to become a guide. If an applicant fails any portion of the oral exam, the applicant must pay an additional $125.00 examination fee to retake that portion of the oral exam. The $125.00 examination fee is non-refundable and cannot be credited toward the license fee. Unsuccessful applicants that do not pass a portion(s) of the oral exam, must wait a minimum of 30 days before retesting for that portion(s) one did not pass.

Applicants must send the completed and signed new guide application, copies of both sides of current first aid certification, along with the $125.00 fee for each classification, to Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Licensing Division, Attention: Billie-Jo Walker, 353 Water Street, Augusta, ME 04333; or email application to Billie-Jo.Walker@maine.gov.

Applicants who fail to appear for a scheduled oral examination without notifying the Licensing Division in writing or telecommunication 24 hours prior to the scheduled examination, will be placed at the end of all scheduled exams for the year. The fail to appear without notification will count as one attempt as it relates to the $125.00 examination fee per classification. Notification can be made by contacting Billie-Jo Walker at 207-287-5232 or email Billie-Jo.Walker@maine.gov

Applicants who successfully pass the guide examination process will need to pay $135 for the 5-year guide license fee.

Written Examination

Applicants must satisfactorily complete a written examination in each license classification for which that person applies. If an applicant needs any special accommodations for the exam, one must contact Billie-Jo Walker at 207-287-5232 or email Billie-Jo.Walker@maine.gov 10 days prior to the scheduled exam.

Applicants will have 90 minutes to complete written exam with a 70% or higher passing score. An applicant who does not pass the written examination, must wait a minimum of 14 days before retaking.

Written exam(s) will be scheduled the same day as the oral exam unless the applicant chooses otherwise.

Oral Examination

Oral examinations will be administered at the Department’s Augusta Office. Orals will be approximately 90 to 120 minutes in duration for each classification.
The oral exam will consist of 3 parts:

  1. Map / compass / navigation portion
  2. Event
  3. Questions pertinent to the specific classification

Fishing Classification Oral Exam

Part A: Map / compass / GPS navigation

Applicants will be required to bring a 2019 or 2022 copyright of The Maine Atlas & Gazetteer and a GPS or other digital device to complete this part of the exam.

First, applicants will be instructed to turn to a predetermined page in the atlas and will need to navigate from one designated point to another and draw a line.

Applicants will need to provide the examiners with the following information:

  • Magnetic bearing from point A to point B, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Magnetic back bearing, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Distance in statute miles from point A to point B using the scale at the bottom of the page, within plus or minus 1/10 (tenth) of a mile

Applicants will have 15 minutes to complete this portion.

Second, applicants will use their GPS or other digital device and provide the examiners with the
following information:

  • Current position by using coordinates in decimal degrees (DD) format, as it appears when emergency services are contacted. Example: 44.312960, -69.774203.
  • Applicants will need to enter a predetermined coordinates (waypoint) using decimal degrees (DD) format and provide the examiners with the distance to the waypoint from their current position in statute miles and the magnetic bearing to the waypoint.

Applicants will have 10 minutes to complete this portion.

Part B: Event (incident)

Applicants will be given a scenario involving a guest(s) in the fields, forest, and waterways while on
a guided trip. The applicant will need to explain in detail the steps to work through this event / incident using good judgement and decision-making skills for the safety and welfare of the guest(s).

This portion will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Part C: Questions portion pertinent to the specific classification

The oral will consist of questions in a variety of topic areas not limited to:

  • Introduction
  • Map / compass / navigation
  • Business plan
  • Booking Client(s)
  • Experience in the outdoors
  • Trip Planning
  • Travel Packs
  • Lodging / overnight camping
  • First Aid
  • Decision making skills
  • Safety of guest(s)
  • Equipment (fishing, watercraft, PFDs, electronic aids, camping, ATV and snowmobile)
  • General knowledge (fishing activities, mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, plants, trees, public lands use, private lands use)
  • Laws and Rules (fishing, boating, ATV, snowmobile)
  • Weather

This portion will take between 30 and 40 minutes.

Hunting Classification Oral Exam

Part A: Map / compass / GPS navigation

Applicants will be required to bring a 2019 or 2022 copyright of The Maine Atlas & Gazetteer and a GPS or other digital device to complete this part the exam.

First, applicants will be instructed to turn to a predetermined page in the atlas and will need to navigate from one designated point to another and draw a line.
Applicants will need to provide the examiners with the following information:

  • Magnetic bearing from point A to point B, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Magnetic back bearing, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Distance in statute miles from point A to point B using the scale at the bottom of the page, within plus or minus 1/10 (tenth) of a mile

Applicants will have 15 minutes to complete this portion.

Second, applicants will use their GPS or other digital device to provide the examiners with the
following information:

  • Current position by using coordinates in decimal degrees (DD) format, as it appears when emergency services are contacted. Example: 44.312960, -69.774203.

  • Applicants’ will need to enter a predetermined coordinates (waypoint) using decimal degrees (DD) format and provide the examiners with the distance to the waypoint from their current position in statute miles and the magnetic bearing to the waypoint.

Applicants will have 10 minutes to complete this portion.

Part B: Event (incident)

Applicants will be given a scenario involving a guest(s) in the fields, forest, and waterways while on
a guided trip. The applicant will need to explain in detail the steps to work through this event / incident using good judgement and decision-making skills for the safety and welfare of the guest(s).

This portion will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Part C: Questions portion pertinent to the specific classification

The oral will consist of questions in a variety of topic areas not limited to:

  • Introduction
  • Map / compass / navigation
  • Business plan
  • Booking Client(s)
  • Experience in the outdoors
  • Trip Planning
  • Travel Packs
  • Lodging / overnight camping
  • First Aid
  • Decision making skills
  • Safety of guest(s)
  • Equipment (watercraft, PFDs, electronic aids, camping, ATV, snowmobile, trapping, firearms, archery)
  • General knowledge (hunting, trapping, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, trees, public land use, private land use)
  • Laws and Rules (boating, hunting, trapping, ATV, snowmobile)
  • Weather

This portion will take between 30 and 40 minutes.

Recreational Classification Oral Exam

Part A: Map / compass / GPS navigation

Applicants will be required to bring a 2019 or 2022 copyright of The Maine Atlas & Gazetteer and a GPS or other digital device (in reach or cell phone) to complete this part the exam.

First, applicants will be instructed to turn to a predetermined page in the atlas and will need to navigate from one designated point to another and draw a line.
Applicants will need to provide the examiners with the following information:

  • Magnetic bearing from point A to point B, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Magnetic back bearing, within plus or minus of 3 degrees

  • Distance in statute miles using the scale at the bottom of the page, within plus or minus 1/10 (tenth) of a mile

Applicants will have 15 minutes to complete this portion.

Second, applicants will use their GPS or other digital device to provide the examiners with the
following information:

  • Current position by using coordinates in decimal degrees (DD) format, as it appears when emergency services are contacted. Example: 44.312960, -69.774203.

  • Applicants’ will need to enter a predetermined coordinates (waypoint) using decimal degrees (DD) the same format and provide the examiners with the distance to the waypoint in statute miles and the magnetic bearing.

Applicants will have 10 minutes to complete this portion.

Part B: Event (incident)

Applicants’ will be given a scenario involving a guest(s) in the fields, forest, and waterways while on a guided trip. The applicant will need to explain in detail the steps to work through this event / incident using good judgement and decision-making skills for the safety and welfare of the guest(s).

This portion will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Part C: Questions portion pertinent to the specific classification

The oral will consist of questions in a variety of topic areas not limited to:

  • Introduction
  • Map / compass / navigation
  • Business plan
  • Booking Client(s)
  • Experience in the outdoors
  • Trip Planning
  • Travel Packs
  • Lodging / overnight camping
  • First Aid
  • Decision making skills
  • Safety of guest(s)
  • Equipment (watercraft, PFDs, electronic aids, camping, ATV, snowmobile)
  • General knowledge (camping, watercraft, paddle sports, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, trees, public land use, private land use)
  • Laws and Rules (boating, ATV, snowmobile)
  • Weather

This portion will take between 30 and 40 minutes.

Sea Kayak Classification Oral Exam

Part A: Navigation

First, applicants will need to plot two legs on a full-size NOAA nautical chart provided. The examiners will use either Casco Bay, Frenchman Bay / Mount Desert Island or Penobscot River chart.

Applicants will need to provide the examiners with the following information for the predetermined legs:

  • Magnetic bearings, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Distance in nautical miles, within plus or minus 1/10 (tenth) of a mile

Applicants will have 15 minutes to complete this portion.

Second, applicants will use their GPS or other digital device to provide the examiners with the
following information:

  • Current position by using coordinates in degrees decimal minutes (DDM) or degrees minutes seconds (DMS) format.

  • Applicants will need to enter a predetermined coordinates (waypoint) using degrees decimal minutes (DDM) or degrees minutes seconds (DMS) format and provide the examiners with the distance in nautical miles and the magnetic bearing to the waypoint.

Applicants will have 10 minutes to complete this portion.

Part B: Event (incident)

Applicants will be given a scenario involving a guest(s) within the State’s territorial waters while on
a guided trip. The applicant will need to explain in detail the steps to work through this event / incident using good judgement and decision-making skills for the safety and welfare of the guest(s).

This portion will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Part C: Questions portion pertinent to the specific classification

The oral will consist of questions in a variety of topic areas not limited to:

  • Introduction
  • Business plan
  • Booking Client(s)
  • Experience on the water
  • Trip Planning
  • Lodging / overnight camping
  • First Aid
  • Travel packs
  • Decision making skills
  • Safety of guest(s)
  • Equipment (watercraft, paddle sports, PFDs, electronic aids, camping)
  • General knowledge (marine environment, watercrafts, mammals, fish, birds, plants, trees, public lands use, private lands)
  • Laws and Rules (boating, water navigation)
  • Cultural history
  • Geography
  • Weather

This portion will take between 30 and 40 minutes.

Tidewater Fishing Classification Oral Exam

Part A: Navigation portion

First, applicants will need to plot two legs on a full-size NOAA nautical chart provided. The examiners will use either Casco Bay, Frenchman Bay / Mount Desert Island or Penobscot River charts.

Applicants will need to provide the examiners with the following information for the predetermined legs:

  • Magnetic bearings, within plus or minus 3 degrees

  • Distance in nautical miles, within plus or minus 1/10 (tenth) of a mile

Applicants will have 15 minutes to complete this portion.

Second, applicants will use their GPS or other digital device to provide the examiners with the
following information:

  • Current position by using coordinates in degree decimal minutes (DDM) or degree minutes seconds (DMS) format.

  • Applicants will need to enter a predetermined coordinates (waypoint) using degree decimal minutes (DDM) or degree minutes seconds (DMS) format and provide the examiners with the distance in nautical miles and the magnetic bearing to the waypoint.

Applicants will have 10 minutes to complete this portion.

Part B: Event (incident)

Applicants will be given a scenario involving a guest(s) within the State’s territorial waters while on
a guided trip. The applicant will need to explain in detail the steps to work through this event / incident using good judgement and decision-making skills for the safety and welfare of the guest(s).

This portion will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

Part C: Questions portion pertinent to the specific classification

The oral will consist of questions in a variety of topic areas not limited to:

  • Introduction
  • Business plan
  • Booking Client(s)
  • Experience on the water
  • Trip Planning
  • Lodging / overnight camping
  • First Aid
  • Travel packs
  • Decision making skills
  • Safety of guest(s)
  • Equipment (watercraft, fishing, PFDs, electronic aids, camping)
  • General knowledge (marine environment, watercrafts, fishing, mammals, fish, birds, plants, trees, public land use, private land)
  • Laws and Rules (fishing, boating, water navigation)
  • Cultural history
  • Geography
  • Weather

This portion will take between 30 and 40 minutes.

Back to top