Maine Laws
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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.
Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Maine? (2026 Law)
Maine law names knuckles in 25 M.R.S. 2001-A, which bars threatening display and concealed carry as a Class D crime. Owning them is not banned by that section.
Are Magic Mushrooms Legal in Maine? Psilocybin Laws (2026)
Psilocybin is a Schedule X drug in Maine and possession is a Class D crime. Trafficking and aggravated penalties, and why the 2025 decriminalization bill failed.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Is Jaywalking Illegal in Maine? Crossing Rules and Fines (2026)
Maine pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk must yield to vehicles (29-A M.R.S. 2056). A violation is a traffic infraction with a $25 to $500 fine.
Is Kratom Legal in Maine? (2026 Law and 7-OH Status)
Maine does not list kratom, mitragynine or 7-OH in its drug schedules and sets no kratom age limit. What state law covers and the pending federal 7-OH notice.
Is Lane Splitting Legal in Maine? (2026 Motorcycle Law)
Lane splitting and filtering are illegal in Maine under 29-A M.R.S. 2062(6). It is a traffic infraction; the court schedule lists $152 for riding between lanes.
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Legal Separation in Maine: Judicial Separation Rules (2026)
Maine allows judicial separation under 19-A M.R.S. § 851 for spouses living apart over 60 days. What a decree covers, its effects, and how it differs from divorce.
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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 Age of Consent Laws: Statutes, Penalties and Reporting
How Maine criminal law protects minors under 14, at 14 to 15 and in school, care and parental relationships to age 18, with penalties, registration and reporting.
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 Annulment Laws: Grounds, Deadlines and How to File (2026)
Maine annulment under 19-A M.R.S. § 752: the void-marriage grounds in §§ 701 and 751, the 2025 age-18 law, how to file in District Court, and what an order covers.
Maine Assault Laws: Assault Classes, Aggravated Assault and Penalties
Maine has no battery crime: assault covers injury and offensive contact. See the Class D to Class A grades, penalties, protected workers and domestic rules.
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 Birth Certificate: How to Order, Fees and Eligibility
Maine's Vital Records office charges $15 for a certified birth certificate and $6 per extra copy. Order in Augusta, by mail, via VitalChek or from the town of birth.
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 (2026): Stages, Smoking Ban & Fines
Maine requires rear-facing seats to age 2, a harness to 55 lbs, and a belt-positioning seat to age 8/57in/80lb. Fines run $50-$250. See the smoking-with-minor law.
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 Crime Classes: Class A to E Sentences and Fines (2026)
Maine's Criminal Code uses Class A to E crimes, not felonies and misdemeanors. See each class's prison term, fine, probation limit and repeat-offender rules.
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 Disorderly Conduct Laws: Penalties, Trespass and Purple Paint
Maine disorderly conduct (17-A MRSA 501-A) is a Class E crime, up to 6 months. Trespass is Class E or D, aggravated trespass Class C, and purple paint counts.
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 Easement and Eminent Domain Laws (2026)
Maine easement and eminent domain law: the 20-year prescriptive easement rule, landlocked land, private road upkeep, post-Kelo limits and takings deadlines.
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 Embezzlement and Forgery Laws: Theft Classes and Penalties
Maine treats embezzlement as theft under 17-A M.R.S. 353: a Class C crime above $1,000 and Class B above $10,000. Forgery runs from Class D to Class B.
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 Extortion Laws: Theft by Extortion, Blackmail and Penalties
Maine charges extortion and blackmail as theft by extortion under 17-A M.R.S. 355, a Class C crime with a base maximum of 5 years. See the threats it covers.
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 Fireworks Laws (2026): Age 21, Hours, Penalties
Maine consumer fireworks need a licensed, federally-permitted seller and a buyer 21+. Use is 9am-10pm (extended July 4/New Year's) under 8 M.R.S. 223-A.
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 Guardianship Laws: Minors, Adults and Conservators (2026)
How Maine guardianship works under 18-C Article 5: clear and convincing proof, a visitor in every adult case, appointed counsel, retained rights and alternatives.
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 Homestead Exemption: $25,000 Amount, Deadline and How to Apply
Maine's homestead exemption takes up to $25,000 off a home's just value. See the April 1 deadline, 2027 changes, the Fairness Credit and creditor protection.
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 Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Exemptions and Employer Rules (2026)
Maine pays jurors $15 a day plus mileage. See who can serve, the age-80 excuse, the 5-year limit, job and health insurance protection and missed-summons penalties.
Maine Knife Laws (2026): Concealment, Display, and Exceptions
Maine bans threatening display or concealment of a bowie knife, dirk, or stiletto. Its preemption law is firearms-only, so towns may still regulate knives.