Maine Court Records Search Guide

Maine court records have gained popularity in the past couple of years. These Maine civil court records could be found on both paper and electronic databases. 

In case you are interested in running a Maine court records search with paper-based records, the only option you have is running it directly at the courthouse.

However, make sure you are eligible to run the Maine court records search if you are interested in special records except for Maine civil court records. 

However, if the records are stored electronically, then you could choose how to run the Maine court records search: at the courthouse's device or remotely. If you are interested in how to run the Maine court records search remotely and whether you are eligible to run it, keep reading this article.

How to Find Court Records in Maine 

Typically, all of the Maine civil court records are kept public in order to ensure the transparency and justice of the American Legal System. However, sometimes a judge may make certain Maine court information private if it might jeopardize national or individual security.

Those Maine civil court records that are considered public can be easily accessible either through the official website of the Judicial Branch of Maine or through the private background check platforms. 

We always recommend running the Maine court records search on both platforms as it will ensure the accuracy of the information in case some people have identical names or birthdates.

Maine Judicial Branch Website (courts.maine.gov)

The website has an easy interface and offers a feature called Maine eCourts. When using this feature, you would have the possibility to file the claim, pay the court fees, access public Maine court records, or even find help for self-represented parties.

However, if you intend to run the Maine court records to search using the Maine eCourts feature, keep in mind it is not free. The service costs 1 USD per downloaded page.

To run the Maine court records search, you must know the following information:

• Party's first and last name

• A case record number (e.g., docket number or traffic citation number)

Once you hit "Smart Search," you will be redirected to the page with the Maine court information that matches the entered information.

Keep in mind that only these types of Maine civil court records could be accessed remotely: 

• Traffic tickets (citations) (statewide)

• The Registry of Actions (ROA) and additional court records for many types of civil cases (in the Bangor District Court, Penobscot Superior Court, and the statewide Business & Consumer Docket), including:

• Business and Consumer Docket cases;

• Personal injury tort;

• Non-personal injury tort;

• Contract;

• Declaratory or equitable relief;

• Constitutional/civil rights;

• Title to real estate and related proceedings;

• 80B/80C appeals and other civil appeals;

• Money judgments; and

• After judgment, if the plaintiff prevailed in Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED or eviction), small claims, and foreclosure cases.

Independent search engine (backroundcheck.co)

In case you are not sure about the accuracy of the information found, you can backup your research by running a Maine court records search with additional independent platforms. There are various platforms, most of which are free. However, some platforms are paid or include paid features.

Typically, to run a Maine court records search, you have to know the first and last name of the person of your interest and their date of birth. Once you hit "search," you will be able to find the following information:

· Background Records

· Phone Number

· Public Records

· Address Information

· Police & Court Records

· Social Media Accounts & Information

· Marriage & Divorce Records

· Unclaimed Money Database

· Sex Offenders & Their Locations

· Privacy Program

· Mugshots

· Maine Criminal Court Records

· Maine Civil Court Records

Who is eligible to run a Maine court records search?

Unless you are the party in the case (which enables you, therefore, to access both public and confidential court records), you must belong to one of the few groups below to run the Maine court records search:

· Person Authorized by a Party: in other words, a person is helping a party in the case. A party might assign a person to help them run the Maine court information search. After this authorization, the third party will be allowed to run the Maine court information search.

* Court-appointed People

All the people appointed by the court are allowed to perform Maine court records search.

 * Legal Aid and Government Staff

All of the parties mentioned above can run Maine court records search remotely unless stated otherwise by the judge. 

However, all parties mentioned above will have no access to electronic Maine court records of criminal, juvenile justice, child welfare cases, or confidential electronic records. 

However, if a judge finds your request appropriate, you would be able to access these Maine court records.

Key takeaways: Always start your court records search by identifying the type of Maine court records you have. If those are electronic, you have two possibilities of accessing them: either directly at the courthouse or running the Maine court records search remotely.

All you need is an electronic device with access to the Internet. We always recommend running the Maine court records search on both private and government websites to gain the most accurate information.