Maine Free Public Records Directory

A part of New England, Maine is the easternmost U.S. state. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces Quebec and New Brunswick to the north. At 35,646 square miles, it is the 39th largest state, with the 42nd largest population (1,331,479) and the 38th highest population density. It is famous for its rocky coast, with many inlets, bays, and islands; its dense forests; and its lobsters. The climate is humid continental, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Cold winters are somewhat moderated along the coast by the Atlantic Ocean. Average monthly temperatures vary from lows in the low teens to highs in the high 70s.

Maine has 16 counties, 23 cities, and 431 towns. It also has 34 plantations, which are similar to towns but with fewer governmental powers. But over half of Maine’s land area is “unorganized territory” with no local government. Most of the unorganized territory is sparsely populated, including the Great North Woods and many islands along the coast. Governmental functions in unorganized territory fall mostly to the state, with some functions handled by the county. Maine’s capital is Augusta; its largest city is Portland, with a population of only 66,000.

Most of the early European settlement in Maine failed. The first were by the French in 1604, who gave the name Acadia to the area including Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. English settlements followed shortly thereafter, and French, English, and native peoples fought over territory in Maine throughout the 17th century and into the 18th. After final English victory in the 1740s, Maine’s territory was split between the Province of Nova Scotia and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. All of Maine’s territory became part of Massachusetts after the Revolutionary War. Maine seceded from Massachusetts and became the 23rd state in 1820.

Maine is the most heavily forested state, and its nickname is the Pine Tree State. Economic sectors include wood products, agriculture, commercial fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism. It ranks #1 in both public safety and voter participation. Like its New England neighbors, the town meeting is the most common form of government, although most cities use the council-manager form. Maine public records may be found by visiting our directory below of all types, including marriage licenses, death certificates, and criminal records.

Abbreviation	ME
Capital	Augusta
Population	1,331,479 (2016 est.)
Area size	35,385 sq. mi
Demonym	Mainer
Primary languages spoken	English, French
Governor	Paul LePage
U.S. Senators	Susan Collins, Angus King
U.S. House Delegation	1 Democrat, 1 Republican
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records: 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them.

The first public records act in Maine was enacted in 1959 but it has been amended many times since then. Known as the Maine Freedom of Access Law, it covers both public records and public proceedings. It has many exemptions. The state government publishes a guide to the law, which includes the text of the law and supporting information.

When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town, or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.