Maine Laws

Are Autopsy Reports Public in Maine? (2026 Guide)

Maine autopsy reports are not open public records. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner releases them to next of kin free and to others for a fee.

Bankruptcy in Maine (2026): Exemptions & Means Test

Maine opted out of federal exemptions. The homestead protects up to $94,300 of equity, more for older or disabled filers, plus the 2026 means test income figures.

Common Law Marriage in Maine: Is It Recognized? (2026)

Maine has never recognized common law marriage. 19-A M.R.S. sec. 652 requires a marriage license, and sec. 655 requires solemnization by an authorized officiant. Learn what Maine does and does not recognize, and what rights cohabiting couples have.

Does Maine Have an Age Verification Law? (2026)

Maine has no enacted adult-content age-verification law. LD 1873 died in committee in June 2025, days before the Supreme Court's Paxton ruling.

How Long Is a Life Sentence in Maine? (2026 Guide)

Complete guide to life sentences in Maine: parole eligibility, LWOP rules, notable cases, recent legislative changes, and sentencing statutes. Updated March 2026.

How to Find a Cause of Death in Maine (2026 Guide)

How to find someone's cause of death in Maine: it is recorded on the medical certification of the death certificate, which is restricted to eligible family for 25 years.

How to Get a Maine Death Certificate (2026)

Get a Maine death certificate from the Office of Data, Research, and Vital Statistics. The first certified copy costs $15.00 and each additional copy is $6.00.

How to Get a Police Report in Maine (2026 Guide)

How to get a Maine crash report online or by mail, request a local incident report, and the truth about Maine bodycam law: there is no statewide statute.

Maine Adoption Records: Original Birth Certificates and the Adoption Reunion Registry

Maine adult adoptees can request the original birth certificate directly from the state registrar and use the state's 1979 Adoption Reunion Registry.

Maine AI Laws and Regulation (2026)

Guide to Maine AI laws, regulation, and legislation covering deepfakes, employment AI, healthcare AI, and more.

Maine AI Meeting Recording Laws: One-Party Consent and Class C Penalties

Maine one-party consent law permits AI meeting recording with one participant's consent. Class C crime penalties include up to 5 years in prison and $5,000 fine.

Maine At-Will Employment Laws: Exceptions and Your Rights

Is Maine an at-will state? Yes. Learn Maine's exceptions: implied contract (yes), public-policy tort (no), good faith (no), RTW status, and your rights.

Maine Audio Recording Laws: One-Party Consent Rules and Penalties (2026)

Learn Maine audio recording laws under 15 M.R.S.A. § 710. One-party consent allows recording your own calls and conversations. Penalties and private places exception.

Maine Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)

Maine background check laws: Ban the Box, lookback periods, Clean Slate, employer and housing checks.

Maine Biometric Privacy Laws: Facial Recognition Ban & Current Protections (2026)

Maine bans government facial recognition, but LD 1822 failed and no comprehensive biometric privacy law exists. Learn what protections apply today.

Maine Car Accident Laws: Fault, Insurance, and Your Claim

Maine is an at-fault state with modified comparative fault (50% bar), 50/100/25 minimums, mandatory UM/UIM, and a generous 6-year injury filing deadline.

Maine Car Seat Laws: Requirements and Guidelines

Maine car seat laws require rear-facing seats until age 2, booster seats until age 8 or 57 inches, and back seat riding until age 12. Learn fines and rules.

Maine Child Custody Laws (2026): Parental Rights and Responsibilities Explained

Maine decides child custody as 'parental rights and responsibilities' using 19 best-interests factors. No 50/50 presumption. Learn the law, types, modification, and relocation rules.

Maine Child Support Laws (2026): Guidelines & Calculator

Maine uses the income shares model under 19-A M.R.S. §2006. Learn how support is calculated, modified, and enforced, plus use the online calculator.

Maine Court Records: How to Search, What's Public, and How to Seal Them

Maine's re:SearchMaine portal is rolling out county by county. See which counties are live, what's public, and how sealing works under Maine law.

Maine Dashcam Laws: Mounting Rules, Audio Recording, and Evidence (2026)

Dashcams are legal in Maine with no specific ban. Learn windshield mounting limits, the one-party consent rule for in-car audio, and how footage is used as evidence.

Maine Data Breach Notification Laws: Reporting Rules & Timelines (2026)

Maine requires data breach notification within 30 days. Learn who must comply, what triggers notification, encryption safe harbors, and penalties under state law.

Maine Data Privacy Laws: ISP Privacy & Consumer Rights (2026)

Complete guide to Maine data privacy laws including the ISP privacy law (35-A MRSA 9301), breach notification requirements, the pending Consumer Data Privacy Act, and employee monitoring rules.

Maine Death Records: Are They Public and How to Get Them

Maine is a closed-record state: only family and authorized parties can get a certified death certificate until 25 years after death, when records become public.

Maine Debt Collection Laws: Wage Garnishment, Statute of Limitations, and Repossession

Maine debt collection laws: an unusually protective 40x-minimum-wage garnishment floor, the 6-year statute of limitations, and repossession right-to-cure rules.

Maine Deepfake Laws: AI Images, Voice Cloning & Penalties (2026)

Maine criminalizes AI-generated intimate deepfakes under 17-A § 511-A (amended 2025) and AI-CSAM under PL 2025 c. 719. Election ads with synthetic media require disclosure from July 29, 2026. Federal TAKE IT DOWN Act applies.

Maine Defamation Laws: Libel, Slander & Suing (2026)

Maine defamation laws explained: a two-year deadline to sue (14 M.R.S. 753), the new UPEPA anti-SLAPP statute, defamation per se categories, and damages.

Maine Divorce Laws (2026): Grounds, Residency, and Process

Maine divorce laws explained: no-fault irreconcilable differences, no separation required, 60-day waiting period, equitable distribution, and how to file.

Maine Dog Bite Laws: Liability and Victim Rights

Learn Maine dog bite laws under 7 M.R.S. § 3961, including strict liability rules, comparative fault, dangerous dog penalties, and the 6-year statute of limitations.

Maine Drone Laws: Police Warrant Rules & Privacy Explained

Maine requires police to get a warrant, often with Attorney General sign-off, before flying a drone under 25 M.R.S. Section 4501. See the warrant rule and its exceptions.

Maine E-Scooter Laws: Sidewalk, Helmet & Age Rules (2026)

Maine defines 'motorized scooter' in 29-A MRS section 101(41-B): a license is required to ride, the speed cap is 20 mph, and no statewide helmet law was confirmed in the statute text.

Maine Emancipation Laws: How to Get Emancipated in Maine (2026)

Maine allows minors aged 16 and older to petition the District Court for emancipation under 15 M.R.S. § 3506-A. Learn the process, requirements, and rights emancipation grants in Maine.

Maine Employee Monitoring Laws: New Notice Law (26 M.R.S. 620-A)

Maine employee monitoring law explained: the new § 620-A surveillance notice law, its GPS exclusion for company vehicles, and the existing social media password ban.

Maine Expungement Laws: Record Sealing Under 15 M.R.S. § 2261 et seq.

Maine does not offer general expungement of adult convictions. Learn who qualifies for Maine's narrow criminal record sealing law, the 4-year waiting period, and which offenses are excluded.

Maine Final Paycheck Laws: Deadline and Double Damages

Maine final paycheck law: the next-payday deadline under 26 M.R.S. Section 626, the 8-day demand window, and the 2x liquidated damages penalty.

Maine Freedom of Access Act: Deadlines, Fees, Waivers, and How to Appeal

Maine's FOAA explained: the 5 working day acknowledgment, the 10 cent per page cap, the indigency and public-interest fee waivers, and the court appeal.

Maine GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)

Is it legal to put a GPS tracker on a car in Maine? Secret tracking can be criminal stalking under 17-A MRS 210-A. Penalties, exceptions, and what to do.

Maine Grandparents' Rights: Why Rideout and Pitts Control, Not the Statute

Maine grandparent visitation under Section 1803, Rideout v. Riendeau, and Pitts v. Moore, which the Law Court called unsettled.

Maine Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do

Learn Maine hit and run laws under Title 29-A. Understand Class C felony and misdemeanor penalties, reporting requirements, and your obligations after an accident.

Maine Identity Theft Laws

Maine requires police to file an identity theft report on request. See the misuse-of-identification statute, the minor freeze law, and victim rights.

Maine Landlord-Tenant Laws (2026): Deposits, Notice, and Tenant Rights

Maine landlord-tenant laws: 2-month deposit cap, 21-day return deadline, 4% late-fee limit, repair-and-deduct, and Portland rent control explained.

Maine Landlord-Tenant Recording Laws: Cameras, Audio, and Privacy Rights (2026)

In Maine, landlords and tenants can record conversations they join. Learn the rules on cameras, audio, hidden recording devices, and tenant privacy rights.

Maine Laws on Recording in Public: Your Complete Guide (2026)

Maine Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limits (2026)

Maine law and the First Amendment let you record police performing public duties. Learn your rights, the one-party consent rule, and the limits on filming officers.

Maine Lemon Law (2026): How to Qualify & Get a Refund

Maine lemon law covers new vehicles within 3 years or 18,000 miles. Learn the 3-attempt presumption, free AG arbitration, refund vs. replacement, and the mileage offset formula.

Maine Marriage and Divorce Records: A Closed Record State

Maine keeps marriage and divorce records back to 1892, but they are not public. Learn the direct and legitimate interest rule, the $15 fee, and how to order.

Maine Medical Recording Laws: Patient Rights, HIPAA, and Consent (2026)

Learn Maine medical recording laws. Patients can record doctor visits under one-party consent (15 M.R.S. 709-710). HIPAA rules, telehealth, and evidence guide.

Maine Medical Records Retention Laws (2026 Guide)

Maine medical records retention laws: how long hospitals and doctors keep your records, HIPAA rules, and patient rights.

Maine Name Change Laws: Background Check Instead of Publication

Maine's Probate Court bars public notice of a name-change petition and instead runs a mandatory criminal-history check. Here is how it works.

Maine Nursing Home Camera Laws: No Statute, Private-Place Risk

Maine has no nursing home camera law. See why 22 M.R.S. 1827 does not cover it, how 17-A M.R.S. 511's private-place rule applies, and facility policy today.

Maine OUI Laws: Penalties, BAC Limit & License (2026)

Maine OUI laws: the 0.08% BAC limit, first-offense penalties under 29-A M.R.S. 2411, the 150-day license suspension, interlock, and the 10-year look-back.

Maine Phone Call Recording Laws: Consent Rules for Cell, Landline, and VoIP (2026)

Maine Police Bodycam Laws (2026): No Mandate & Records Access

Maine has no law requiring police to wear body cameras. See why a 2019 mandate bill died and how footage access works under Maine's FOAA.

Maine Pornography Laws (2026): No General Obscenity Statute

Maine repealed its adult-obscenity law and has no age-verification statute, but CSAM (under-16), minor-dissemination, and NCII laws still apply.

Maine Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial POA (2026)

Maine Power of Attorney Laws: durable POA is the default under 18-C M.R.S. 5-904, execution requires notarization (5-905), and health care directives are governed separately by the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act (5-801 et seq.).

Maine Probate and Intestate Succession: What Happens Without a Will (2026)

Maine probate explained: the Probate Court process, intestate succession under 18-C, small estate affidavits, and Maine's state estate tax exemption.

Maine Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)

Maine property records are filed at 17 county Registries of Deeds, searchable statewide through one free portal. Learn how to find an owner and get a copy.

Maine Recording Laws (2026): One-Party Consent, § 710 and § 511

Maine is a one-party consent state under 15 M.R.S. § 710, with an all-party rule for private places under § 511. Learn the penalties, police-recording rights, and 2025 AI updates.

Maine Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a Protection from Abuse Order

Learn how to get a Maine Protection from Abuse (PFA) or Protection from Harassment order: who qualifies, how long it lasts, filing steps, and firearm rules.

Maine Ring Doorbell Laws: What You Need to Know in 2026

Maine is a one-party consent state with specific Ring doorbell camera rules. Learn about audio recording laws, video privacy limits, HOA rules, and penalties.