How it works in Maine

The steps

1. Request your record

   Complete and submit your application to request an official copy of your criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification.

   Record request fee: $31.00 — $21.00 for Maine InforME subscribers; a notarized report is $10.00 more; non-refundable

2. Review your record

   Confirm there is no disqualifying information in your history. If there is something incorrect, follow the process to challenge the issue. If everything is accurate, make a copy for your file and keep the original somewhere safe.

3. Request certified documents

   Collect certified copies of relevant documents. These include a copy of the disposition of the case from the clerk of court that handled the original case and the arrest record from the arresting agency. If you had probation or parole, had to take classes, had to pay fees, or had any other obligations, you also need certified proof that you completed those requirements. The cited fee is the court fee schedule's attestation charge, added per document to the copy charges, and as a party to your own case you are entitled to one copy, attested or not, at no charge — so ask the clerk of the court that handled your case what your attested copy will cost.

   Certified copy fee: $5.00 — Attestation fee per document, added to the copy charges ($2.00 first page, $1.00 each later page); a party to the criminal action is entitled to one copy, attested or not, at no charge (M.R. Crim. P. 53)

4. Verify the final documents

   Review each document for accuracy. Confirm each one is certified and clearly shows you completed your obligations. Make copies of every original.

5. Prepare your motion

   Complete the motion based on the type of charge and outcome you are seeking. Note the timing rule in Title 15, Chapter 310-A: for most eligible convictions, at least four years must have passed since you fully satisfied every part of your sentence, and since then you must have no new conviction in Maine or anywhere else, no charge dismissed after a deferred disposition, and no pending charges anywhere. For the old crime of engaging in prostitution the wait is one year, and a victim of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation may file at any time.

6. Finalize your motion

   Take the completed motion from Step 5, the documents collected in Step 3, and the background check from Step 1, and put them together in a complete package. Double-check every file in the package is the original and ensure you have a copy of the complete package for your personal file.

7. File your motion to seal

   Once you have confirmed you have everything, file the motion in the case where you were convicted — the clerk's office of the court that entered the conviction (a paper CR-218 is also available from any District Court clerk's office). The Maine Judicial Branch's court fee schedule prices post-judgment motions but has no line for a motion to seal; confirm the current filing fee for the CR-218 motion with the clerk before you file.

   Filing fee: $60.00 — The court fee schedule (Administrative Order JB-05-26 (A. 3-26), effective March 9, 2026) has no line for a motion to seal; $60.00 is its fee for a motion under M.R. Civ. P. 60(b) (page 7), so confirm the fee with the clerk. If you cannot afford it, ask the clerk about the Application to Proceed Without Payment of Fees (Form CV-067) with the Financial Affidavit (Form CV-191).

8. Work with the court

   After you file, the clerk sets the motion for a hearing. The State is represented by the prosecutor's office that handled your original case. You may hire a lawyer, but the court will not appoint one at state expense. At the hearing you must show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that you meet each requirement; the Rules of Evidence do not apply, so testimony, affidavits and other reliable hearsay the court permits may be used. Respond promptly to anything the court asks for.

9. Receive the court's order

   Once the court rules on the motion, it issues an order either granting or denying sealing. The order carries written findings of fact, and the court sends a copy to you and to the prosecutor's office. Review the order's terms carefully — they spell out which records are covered. Keep a certified copy of the order for your own files.

10. Verify the record is sealed

    Under Title 15, Chapter 310-A, the court sends notice of its order to the State Bureau of Identification, which must promptly amend its records to show the conviction is sealed and mail you a notice that it has done so. Every criminal justice agency must then treat the record as confidential and may release it only to the people and agencies the law lists, and you may answer most questions about your record as if the conviction had not occurred. If a background-check provider later produces an outdated report, your certified copy of the court's order is your authoritative reference. Note that if you are convicted of a new crime, in Maine or anywhere else, you must promptly file a written notice in the case, and the court unseals the record — unless the record was sealed under the prostitution or sex-trafficking rules, which a later conviction does not reach.

If you have to mail anything, remember to keep a copy of whatever you send and to use a method with a tracking number like the USPS Flat Rate Envelope.