Maine Death Records

An estimated 16,435 deaths are registered in Maine each year, and the leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer. The state's age-adjusted mortality rate of 822.3 per 100,000 residents is slightly higher than the national average of 805.6 per 100,000 United States residents. Maine's death rate has been on the rise over the last few years.

The death certificate is the major form of death record in the State of Maine. It is an official document containing details of a person's death in the state, including the place of death, the deceased's personal information, the date of death, the cause of death, and other important details.

Maine began the systematic recording of death events on a statewide basis in 1892. Although some towns have records of death dating back to 1794, records before 1892 may not be a complete recording of death events, as towns were not required to register records of death at the time. Generally, in Maine, the funeral director or any other authorized person in charge of the disposition of a deceased body is responsible for filing the original death certificate with the clerk of the municipality where the death occurred or the State Registrar of Vital Statistics.

Once the original certificate of a death event is filed with the relevant Maine government agency (clerk of a municipality or the Office of Vital Records), eligible persons may obtain certified copies of the certificate. While there is no difference in the information contained in an original death certificate and a certified copy, an original death certificate is permanently on file with the Office of Vital Records. A certified copy of a death certificate is a duplicate copy of the original document that has been officially verified and can be used for several legal purposes.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in Maine?

Original death certificates in the state are housed at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Data, Research, and Vital Statistics (DRVS) office of the state's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). To order a certified copy of a death certificate in the state, a qualified or eligible person may take the following steps:

• Print the Application for a Search and Certified Copy of a Vital Record and complete the appropriate sections for a death record.
• Make photocopies of their photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, driver's license, or any other government-issued photo identification. An applicant who does not have an acceptable photo identification may provide any two of the following documents bearing their name:
• A Department of Corrections identification
• A utility bill
• A Medicaid or Medicare insurance card
• A Social Security disability card
• A personal check with an address
• A copy of an income tax return
• A bank statement
• A Social Security card
• A car registration
• A license or rental agreement
• Any other form of ID losing the applicant's name, address, and date of birth
• Pay $15 for the first certified copy of the requested death certificate and $6 for each additional copy of the same record. Acceptable forms of payment are checks and money orders made payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine.
• Prepare a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

• Mail the completed application form, ID, payment proof, and the self-addressed envelope to the state's Vital Records Office at:

  Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention

  11 State House Station

  220 Capitol Street

  Augusta, ME 04333-0011

  It generally takes about 7 to 10 business days to process mail-in applications for certified copies of a death certificate in Maine.

Are Maine Death Records Public?

In Maine, death records for death events that occurred less than 25 years ago are considered private records and are not open to the general public, per Title 22, Section 2706 of the state's Revised Statutes. Only applicants with a direct and legitimate interest in a death record may inspect or obtain copies of the record. However, records of death created in Maine before 1892 are open to the public without any restriction. Similarly, records of death events become public records once 25 years have passed since the date of the death events.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in Maine?

Original Maine death certificates are filed permanently with the state's Vital Records Office and are not available for issuance. However, eligible individuals may request certified copies of a death certificate in the state. These are typically persons who have a tangible and direct interest in a certificate, and they include the following:

• The deceased's descendants, including their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
• The decedent's spouse or registered domestic partner.
• The deceased's parents.
• The deceased's legal guardian.
• Authorized representatives of eligible persons.

While only eligible persons may request certified copies of death certificates in Maine, death certificates 25 years or older are considered public and anyone may request informational copies of such documents.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Maine?

Any request for a certified copy of a death certificate in the state is typically processed within 7 to 10 working days if the original death certificate is on file with the state's Vital Records Office (Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Unless there are unusual extenuating circumstances, a completed, original death certificate is expected to be filed or registered within 5 days after a person dies. Hence, if an individual dies of natural causes in Maine, it is possible to get a certified copy of the person's death certificate within 3 weeks after the day on which the death occurred.

When someone dies of an external cause or if the circumstances surrounding a death event are suspicious or unusual, an autopsy may be needed to determine the cause and manner of death. In Maine, death events whose cause of death cannot be determined by healthcare providers within 5 days after death are reported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). Once a case is reported to the OCME, there is a tendency for a delay in preparing the original death certificate, hence, a delay in filing the death certificate with the Vital Records Office.

Typically, a final autopsy report will not be available until all diagnostic testing, including toxicology testing, is complete. Depending on the complexity of the case, it takes several weeks, and sometimes, several months, before a final autopsy report is available in Maine, and until the report is available, a death certificate with the cause of death cannot be prepared. This ultimately causes a delay in filing an original death certificate with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Consequently, this extends the timeline to get the certified copy of a death certificate after the death of an individual.

Can I View Maine Death Records Online for Free?

Some historic death records in the state, especially those created before 1892, may be accessed through the Maine State Archives. Members of the public may also view death records in the state free of charge through online resources such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. These sites have digitized records, including a collection of some historic death records in Maine.

Furthermore, it is possible to view death records in the state online through independent, third-party sites like Mainepublicrecords.us, although at a small fee. These sites generally offer access to a wider range of publicly available death records in the state promptly and provide users with a more convenient way of accessing such records.

Alternatively, interested persons may access death records in Maine for free by looking up some substitute records, like church records, cemetery records, obituary records, probate records, mortuary records, and tax records. Others include newspapers, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), funeral cards, pension records, body transit records, and hospital records. Substitute records are generally helpful when looking to find information regarding deaths that are not officially recorded or registered in the state.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in Maine?

Certified copies of a Maine death certificate are required for several reasons, ranging from a wide range of legal purposes to other administrative purposes. Some of these purposes are listed below:

• Applying for insurance benefits.
• Canceling a deceased's credit cards and insurance policies.
• Transferring or property in a deceased's name to another person.
• Canceling a decedent's subscriptions to several services, including cell phone plans, newspapers, and other utility services.
• Closing a deceased person's bank accounts to prevent identity fraud.
• Notifying certain government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Department of Veterans Affairs of a person's death.
• Notifying credit card companies, creditors, and brokerage companies of a person's death.
• Making funeral arrangements.
• Filing paperwork to receive a deceased's Medicaid benefits, pension benefits, veteran benefits (if applicable), and other employer or retirement benefits.
• Processing wills in probate court.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Maine?

While obtaining 8 to 12 copies of a death certificate in Maine is often recommended, the actual number of copies needed can vary depending on some factors. Usually, the size of a deceased's estate, the number of transactions requiring a copy of a death certificate, and the number of companies or government agencies requiring a copy can help to determine how many copies to request from the state's Vital Records Office.

Furthermore, before requesting certified copies of a death certificate in Maine, it is good to check with all the private institutions and government agencies requiring a copy to know their preference. While some may accept a photocopy of a certified copy of a death certificate, others may require a certified copy (not a photocopy). Also, when requesting certified copies of a death certificate, it is often advised to order one or two extra copies for personal records, as they may come in handy in case of exigencies.