How to search Maine court records

Maine's statewide portal reaches most, but not all, courts. A few jurisdictions run their own separate systems — see the additional lookups below. Cost varies by record type — some searches are free, others require a paid account or a formal records request.

partial varies criminal data

Open the official Maine portal →

What's actually there

Maine is still rolling out electronic access. Many records require an in-person or mail request.

Other official lookups for Maine

State Bureau of Identification criminal history (fee)

How Maine's courts are organized

Maine's state trial courts are the District Court and the Superior Court, both organized into eight judicial regions. The District Court hears civil, criminal and family matters and always sits without a jury. Small claims cases are filed in the District Court, and family cases go through its Family Division. The Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction and the only level where jury trials are available. Criminal cases from both courts move through a single Unified Criminal Docket. Traffic tickets go to a statewide Violations Bureau, and business disputes can go to the Business and Consumer Docket.

Appeals go to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court.

Maine is partway through moving to an electronic system called Maine eCourts. Online case search, called re:SearchMaine, covers traffic violations statewide plus courts that have switched to eFiling. As of the Cumberland County launch on September 28, 2026, those include Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin, Kennebec, Somerset, York, Aroostook, Hancock, Washington and Cumberland counties. Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc and Waldo were scheduled for December 2026.

Searching re:SearchMaine

You must register for a re:SearchMaine account before searching, but registering and searching are free. Members of the public can search public cases in eFiling courts and view the Registry of Actions, which is the list of court events, plus any records the court makes available remotely. Remote Registry of Actions access covers criminal, civil violation and traffic cases, Business and Consumer Docket cases, many civil case types and money judgments. Eviction, small claims and foreclosure cases appear only after judgment, and only if the plaintiff won.

Most documents are not online for the public. To see other public electronic documents, go to a courthouse where eFiling is available. Paper copies of public electronic court records are free at those courts. Access rules come from the Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (MRECS) and Administrative Order JB-20-03.

Criminal, juvenile and civil violation records are online only from each county's eCourts start date, for example Androscoggin after June 2025 and York after March 2026.
Closed or inactive legacy cases are not electronic records, except traffic cases.
Sealed, impounded and nonpublic records need a court order, and any access granted will not be remote.
Parties to child protection and protection from abuse or harassment cases must file form OTH-014 to see their own case online.

Getting copies and record searches

For older cases, or courts not yet on eCourts, contact the clerk's office of the court that handled the case, or use the Judicial Branch's Record Search Request (form OTH-009). Requests go by mail or in person at the Judicial Branch Service Center, not by email or fax. The search fee is $20 per name for each court location you check, and you get back the docket number and status of any non-confidential case. People searching for their own cases do not pay the search fee.

Copies cost $2 for the first page and $1 for each added page. Attested copies with the court seal cost an extra $5 per document. The docket record, which lists parties, case type, charges, filing date and judgment, is the most commonly requested document.

Sealed records

Maine does not have expungement. Instead, 15 M.R.S. chapter 310-A (sections 2261 to 2265) allows a post-judgment motion to seal a criminal history record. Eligible convictions include current or former Class E crimes, except certain sexual assaults, and some marijuana crimes committed before January 30, 2017. At least four years must have passed since the whole sentence was completed, with no new convictions, no deferred-disposition dismissals and no pending charges. Separate processes exist for the former Class E crime of engaging in prostitution and for victims of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation.

Sealing is not automatic. You file the Motion to Seal Criminal History (form CR-218) with the court where the conviction happened, and the court holds a hearing. If it is granted, the State Bureau of Identification seals the record, and you may answer most non-criminal-justice inquiries as if the conviction had not occurred. Talk to a lawyer or use the Judicial Branch's Legal Help and Guides pages.

Tip: know whether the county is on eCourts

What you can see in Maine depends on where and when a case was filed. Before you search, check the Maine eCourts page for the county's start date. A case filed before that date, or in a county not yet live, will not be in re:SearchMaine except for traffic tickets. For those, a $20 record search or a call to the clerk is the way in. For a full statewide criminal history, the State Bureau of Identification runs its own fee-based check.

Sources

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.

Federal cases filed in Maine

State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.

Search tips

Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Maine court records online?

It depends on what you're looking for. Some record types on Maine's portal are free; others require payment or a formal request.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes. Maine's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.

Does one search cover the whole state?

Mostly. Maine's statewide portal covers most courts, but a few jurisdictions maintain separate systems — worth checking the additional lookups above if your court isn't listed.

Links move. If the Maine portal link above is dead, tell us on the corrections page.