How to Get a Death Certificate in Maine
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Maine. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Maine, certified death certificates are issued by the Maine CDC's Data, Research, and Vital Statistics office in Augusta, which has records back to 1892, and the town and city clerk offices. A certified copy costs $15, and each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time costs $6. A non-certified copy costs $10 and is stamped "not for legal purposes."
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Maine, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Maine.
Who issues death certificates in Maine?
Certified copies come from the Maine CDC’s Data, Research, and Vital Statistics office in Augusta, which has records back to 1892, and the town and city clerk offices. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy cost in Maine?
A certified copy costs $15, and each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time costs $6. A non-certified copy costs $10 and is stamped “not for legal purposes.”
Who can order a copy in Maine?
Maine is a closed-record state. For deaths less than 25 years ago you must show a direct and legitimate interest; people who qualify include the informant named on the record and the spouse or registered domestic partner (with a marriage certificate unless named on the record). Photo ID is required.
How do I order more copies in Maine?
- At a town or city clerk’s office: copies are available from the municipality where the person died and the one where they lived, during regular business hours.
- By mail: to Vital Records, 11 State House Station, 220 Capitol Street, Augusta, ME 04333-0011, with a check or money order payable to “Treasurer - State of Maine,” a copy of your photo ID, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- Online or by phone: through VitalChek, which charges an additional expedite fee.
What else should I know before I order?
If you are not the spouse or the informant, ask the clerk what documents show your direct and legitimate interest before you go.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Maine and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Maine CDC or a town clerk before you send payment.
Sources
- Maine CDC - Ordering a Vital Record ($15 certified copy, $6 each additional, closed-record state, VitalChek)(Government)
- Maine CDC - Ordering Vital Records (mailing address, check payable to Treasurer - State of Maine)(Government)
- Town of Fairfield, Maine - Death Certificates (25-year direct and legitimate interest rule; town clerk copies)(Government)
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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