Maine genealogy records

Before 1892: town records

In some towns, vital records go back to the 1600s, but before 1892, with a few exceptions, registration stayed at the town level and the records are generally thin. Marriage and death records, for example, rarely list parents' names or the place of birth.

In the 1920s the state asked towns for copies of their pre-1892 vital records, and only about 20 percent responded. The copies that came in are on the Delayed Vital Records microfilm at the Maine State Archives. Because pre-1892 records are incomplete and unindexed, Archives staff cannot search them for you.

Records from before 1892 can be requested from the town where the event happened or from the Maine State Archives. They are open without restriction, and anyone may buy a noncertified copy or a copy on municipal letterhead. The Maine State Library also holds published birth, marriage, and death records for many Maine towns.

Births, marriages, and deaths from 1892

Since May 1, 2015, the Vital Records office of the Maine CDC's Data, Research, and Vital Statistics program, known as DRVS, has issued all vital records from 1892 to the present. Maine municipalities also keep the records of events in their town and of residents living there at the time.

State records become public after a set number of years from the date on the record: births after 75 years, deaths after 25 years, and marriages after 50 years (as of 2026). For a public record, an applicant with acceptable identification can get a noncertified copy. A certified copy, or any copy of a record that is still restricted, requires proof of a direct and legitimate interest or of lineage or relationship.

As of 2026 a certified copy costs 15 dollars, which covers a search of one year before and after the stated date, and each extra copy ordered at the same time costs 6 dollars. A search with one noncertified copy costs 10 dollars. The fee is charged even if no record is found. DRVS in Augusta takes walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and also accepts orders by mail and online.

The genealogist researcher card

Maine offers a Genealogist Researcher Program for people doing family history. To join, you send an application, a signed code of ethics form, acceptable identification, proof of current membership in a genealogical society, and a 50 dollar fee (as of 2026). The card is valid for one year.

Card holders may request three noncertified copies of public or restricted vital records per week and get unlimited use of the DRVS Online Index Portal. Hands-on access to the original paper records and indexes is not allowed; the portal and the weekly copies take its place.

Census records

Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, when Congress made it the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise. Its 1790 census schedules survive and were published as their own volume of Heads of Families in 1908.

Courts, probate, naturalization, and military

The Maine State Archives has placed many records on FamilySearch, free with an account. They include Maine naturalization records by county from 1800 to 1990, with declarations of intention and petitions; county court records, among them York County court records from 1636 to 1852; and Somerset County probate records from 1810 to 1916.

Military records from the Archives on FamilySearch include Maine military records from 1700 to 1940, militia records, World War I records from 1917 to 1919, Civil War rolls of Maine Volunteers from 1861 to 1866, and veterans cemetery records. For Superior Court records after 1929 and District Court records after 1960, contact the court itself.

Visiting the Archives and the State Library

The Maine State Archives is open Monday to Friday, 9 to 4, in the Cultural Building. It is a closed-stacks facility, so researchers must make an appointment at least one week ahead so material can be brought from storage. Staff cannot do genealogical research for you, but the Archives keeps a list of independent professional genealogists.

The Maine State Library holds published family histories, town and county histories, city directories, cemetery records, town reports, and long runs of Maine newspapers on microfilm. For a fee, its staff can search selected Maine newspapers for an obituary when you know the date of death and the person's place of residence. As of 2026 the library has moved back to the Cultural Building and in-person visits are paused while it prepares to reopen.