Maine Name Change Laws: Background Check Instead of Publication

Maine takes a genuinely different approach to name-change safety and transparency than most states in this guide. Its Probate Code, 18-C M.R.S. §1-701, explicitly bars the court from requiring public notice of a petition. In its place, every adult petitioner must undergo a mandatory criminal-history check before a judge will grant the change.

This page covers how that background-check model works, what a Maine name change costs, how minors are handled, and a separate divorce-restoration statute that sits outside the Probate Code entirely.

Information last verified on 2026-08-11. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

How to Legally Change Your Name in Maine

Under 18-C M.R.S. §1-701, an adult petitions the Probate Court in the county where they reside. Maine residency is implied by that venue requirement, and no separate durational residency period appears in the statute. Maine recodified its probate law from the old Title 18-A to the current Title 18-C between 2019 and 2025, so always look for the current section under 18-C, not the repealed 18-A.

No Public Notice, But a Mandatory Background Check

Maine's statute states plainly that the court "may not require public notice" before approving a name change. That is an affirmative bar on requiring publication, not simply a statute that happens to omit one. In its place, the court must require every adult petitioner to undergo a criminal-history record check. That mandatory check is defined narrowly: a motor-vehicle-record check and a credit check are separate items the statute makes discretionary, available for any petitioner, adult or minor, at the court's own option, not automatically bundled with the mandatory adult check. Offense class and probation, parole, or supervised-release status, including sex-offender-registry status, are not defined as part of the check's own scope either; they are factors that come into play once a criminal-history result exists.

That check does not automatically block a petition. Instead, a rebuttable presumption favors public-interest disclosure and closer scrutiny only if the petitioner has a recent serious felony conviction or is under active criminal-justice supervision. A petitioner can also ask the court for confidentiality where safety concerns, particularly for abuse victims, outweigh the public interest in disclosure. Anyone with a criminal record should understand this as a real practical consideration, since it shifts the burden toward disclosure even though it is not an outright bar.

Filing Fee

The filing fee is $75. Maine's statute does not address a fee-waiver process for that amount in the text available for this article; ask the Probate Court clerk in your county whether a waiver applies to your situation.

Changing a Minor's Name in Maine

A parent or guardian petitions in Probate Court, or in District Court where it has exclusive jurisdiction, such as an active custody case. If the minor is 14 or older, the statute requires the court to consider "whether the minor consents or objects to the name change petition." The standard is the best interest of the minor, assessed against statutory factors. Unlike the adult process, the criminal-history background check is discretionary rather than mandatory for a minor's petition.

Restoring Your Name After Divorce

Maine's divorce-restoration rule sits outside the Probate Code entirely, in 19-A M.R.S. §1051, part of the Domestic Relations title's chapter on divorce. If a spouse requests restoration of a former name in the divorce judgment, the court shall grant it, a mandatory outcome. If the spouse instead requests any other name, the court may grant it, a discretionary outcome. The statute does not specify whether the request has to appear in the original complaint or can be added later by motion.

Changing Your Name After Marriage

Maine has no codified marriage-based name-change statute. Marriage-certificate-based updates are handled administratively through the Social Security Administration and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, not a court filing.

Related Maine Records

For related Maine record searches, see Maine marriage and divorce records, Maine court records, and Maine divorce laws for how §1051's restoration rule fits into a divorce case.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Maine name-change law. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and court procedures change; verify current details with your county Probate Court or a licensed Maine attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11. Fees and forms reflect their published status as of August 2026.