How to Get a Death Certificate in Maine

Maine is a closed record state, so vital records are not public records. Certified copies go only to people the law allows, and the same rules apply at the state office and at town offices.

People who can order a certified copy include:

• Spouse or registered domestic partner
• Parent, or a guardian (with court-issued guardianship papers)
• Descendants, such as a child or grandchild
• Grandparent, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, or the spouse's parent
• The personal representative (executor) of the estate
• An attorney or agent designated by an eligible person
• The informant or funeral establishment listed on the death certificate (ID only)
• Someone with a documented "direct and legitimate interest," such as a person clearing a motor vehicle title, or someone dealing with Social Security, an insurer, a creditor, or a mortgage lender

Genealogists with a Maine DRVS researcher card can get non-certified copies. A certified copy requires a direct and legitimate interest.

After 25 years from the date of death, anyone can buy a non-certified copy, but certified copies are still limited to eligible people.

Maine's local offices are town and city clerks, not counties. Once a death is registered, certified copies can be issued by the state, the town where the death happened, or the town where the person lived in Maine.

1. Town or city clerk (local)

Go to the clerk in the town where the person died or where they lived in Maine. Most town offices keep vital records, but not every office has every record, so call first to confirm they have it and to ask about their fee, hours, and payment options. Find your clerk in the Secretary of State's municipal clerk directory. For a death in any other town, order from the state.

2. State Vital Records office (DRVS)

• In person: 220 Capitol Street, Augusta. Walk-ins are welcome from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Service is usually same day, occasionally up to 24 hours. The state does not list which days the counter is open, so contact the office to confirm. In-person payment: cashier's check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover.
• By mail: Send the Application for a Search and Certified Copy of a Vital Record, a copy of your photo ID, proof of eligibility if you are not named on the record, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for the exact amount payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine" to: Data, Research, and Vital Statistics, 220 Capitol Street, 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0011. Do not send cash. Processing averages 5 to 7 business days from receipt, plus mailing time. Applications without ID and payment are returned.
• Online or by phone: VitalChek, the independent company DRVS partners with, at vitalchek.com or 1-877-523-2659. VitalChek adds $15.50 per order. Standard USPS shipping is free; express courier is $17.50 to $19.50. The state says VitalChek can process orders for grandparents and earlier generations only by phone. The state does not publish a processing time for VitalChek orders.

Phone and email: Call toll free (888) 664-9491 (TTY: dial 711) or email VitalRecords.DHHS@maine.gov. State pages also list two different local numbers, (207) 287-3771 and (207) 287-1919, so the toll-free number is the most reliable way to reach the office.

Deaths before 1892 are not held by the state. Those records come from the town where the death happened or the Maine State Archives.

ID: A driver's license, passport, or other government-issued photo ID. By mail, send a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID that shows your signature. If you have no photo ID, the state accepts photocopies of two items from its list, such as a utility bill, bank statement, car registration, Social Security card, pay stub or W-2, or voter registration card.

Proof you are eligible, if you are not named on the death certificate. Documents must be originals or notarized copies.

• Relatives: certified vital records showing your relationship are the main proof, such as your birth certificate naming the deceased as your parent. If those are not available, two secondary records (for example school, military, census, or court records) may be used.
• Spouse: Official sources differ. The state's ordering page says a spouse must show a marriage certificate. The state's eligibility chart says a spouse listed as the spouse on the death certificate does not need one. Bring your marriage certificate to be safe, or call (888) 664-9491 to confirm.
• Personal representative (executor): The state's eligibility chart lists the personal representative as eligible when the copy is needed for Social Security, insurance, a vehicle title, a bank or mortgage, or a creditor, with the matching letter or document. Bring that document along with the Probate Court papers appointing you. The state does not say whether court papers alone are enough, so contact DRVS or the town clerk to confirm.
• Business or property reasons: the document that requires the certificate, such as a letter from Social Security, an insurer, or a creditor. To clear a vehicle title, bring the vehicle registration showing both names.

Maine issues certified copies, the legal document used for estates, banks, insurance, and vehicle titles, and non-certified copies, which are marked as not a legal copy. A non-certified copy from the state costs $10. The same ID and eligibility rules apply to both until the record becomes open 25 years after the death. For handling an estate, families and executors order certified copies.

The funeral director (or another authorized person in charge of the body) is responsible for filing the death certificate and gathering the personal details, usually from a family member acting as informant. A doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician associate certifies the cause of death, unless the medical examiner handles the case.

By state rule, the death certificate must be registered within five days after the death, unless there are unusual circumstances. It counts as registered once both the funeral director and the medical certifier have signed it. Copies can then be issued by the state and by the town where the death happened or where the person lived.

If the cause of death is waiting on autopsy results, the certificate can be filed as "pending" and completed later with a supplemental form. The state does not say how long that takes.

Maine also allows families to handle arrangements without a funeral director. In that case, the authorized person gets a VS-3 form from their town or DRVS. The funeral director named on the record can obtain certified copies, and many families get their first copies through the funeral home, but the state does not describe a set process or price for that.

Banks, insurers, and government agencies often want their own certified copy, and some keep it. In Maine, extra copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost $6 each from the state, compared with $15 for a new order later, so ordering a few extra up front can save money. See our guide on how many copies to plan your count.

Corrections are handled only by the state Vital Records office, not by town offices.

• Who can apply: the informant or funeral director listed on the death record, or the authorized person.
• Form: the Application to Correct a Vital Record in Maine (VS-7). The applicant's signature must be witnessed by a notary or a municipal clerk.
• Evidence: if the record was filed more than 90 days ago, include two supporting documents (originals or notarized copies).
• Fee: $60, which includes one certified copy of the corrected record. DRVS cannot waive it.
• Time: about 4 to 6 weeks.

Send the application to 220 Capitol Street, 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0011, or apply in person by appointment only. Changes to the cause of death are a separate type of correction. Details are on the state's amend or correct a vital record page.

The official ways to get a Maine death certificate are:

• Your town or city clerk, for a death in that town or of a resident
• The state Vital Records office (DRVS) in Augusta, in person or by mail, using the state application
• VitalChek, the online and phone vendor named on the Maine Vital Records ordering page. DRVS says it does not endorse any other internet ordering service.

Other websites may look official but are not run by the state. To be safe, start from the Maine Vital Records website and follow its links.