What’s the deal with the Maine Guide License?

The words “Registered Maine Guide” come up a lot in the Maine outdoors community. If you’re not sure what that means, you’re not alone. We get lots of questions from folks wondering what it means that our trips are led by guides who are “registered” and “licensed.” So here are some answers. 

What does it mean to be a Registered Maine Guide?

Maine is the only state in the country that requires professional wilderness guides to maintain an official guiding license. Registered Maine Guides are defined as “outdoor professionals who are licensed and permitted to accept any form of remuneration for their services in accompanying or assisting any person in the fields, forests or on the waters or ice within the jurisdiction of the State while hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, snowmobiling, using an all-terrain vehicle or camping at a primitive camping area.” (The key idea here is that if you are receiving payment for your services, you must have a license issued by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife).

The earliest guides in what is now Maine were members of the Wabanaki Confederacy who led white clients on expeditions through the lands their people had inhabited for centuries. Penobscot Guide Joe Polis, hired by Henry David Thoreau in 1857 for his trip through the Maine woods, is one well known example of these guides. As the Wabanaki were dispossessed of much of their lands, a guiding industry dominated by white people emerged and the state of Maine created a licensing system to regulate who could legally be considered  a guide.

The legendary Cornelia “Flyrod” Crosby became the first officially licensed Maine guide In 1897. In 1975, the current licensing process was established with the addition of a standardized test. Today, there are several classifications of guide licenses for specialized activities, including sea kayaking.

How do I become a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide?

You must pass an in-person exam consisting of both multiple choice written and oral exam components, along with a navigation section. Questions encompass a wide range of topics including general sea kayaking technique, group management, weather, currents and tides, navigation, public land access, wilderness first aid, maritime law, equipment, wildlife identification, and more.

The process can be lengthy as test dates are often scheduled at least a month out (not including the initial background check) and many prospective guides don’t pass the exam the first try – so be sure to get the ball rolling far in advance for the upcoming season! Visit the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website for the most up to date information on the process. 

How can I prepare for the guide exam?

The best way to prepare for the guide exam is to spend time on the water, practicing your sea kayaking and nautical skills. For those already with intermediate to advanced sea kayaking experience, Portland Paddles offers a Guide Training Course specifically designed to prepare you for success during the exam, along with time on the water to hone your guiding-specific paddling skills.

This year, the Guide Training Course is taking place over the weekends of May 16-17 and May 23-24 — and you can sign up now!