FAQs
Can my juvenile record prevent me from owning or
buying a gun?
MAYBE. Maine state laws on possession of rearms are very complex.
If gun ownership is important to you, you should speak to an attorney
about whether your juvenile record prohibits you from legally possess-
ing a rearm in Maine.
Do I have to register as a sex oender in Maine if I was
adjudicated of a sex crime in juvenile court?
NO. Maine does not require juveniles adjudicated of sex crimes to reg-
ister as sex oenders on Maine’s Sex Oender Registry. However, the
sex oender registry requirement is dierent from state to state. If you
are planning to travel or move out of Maine, you should contact an
attorney in that state to make sure you understand the law in that state.
I saw my juvenile record and I don’t think it is right. Who
should I contact?
If something in your juvenile record is wrong, you can contact the juve-
nile court in which your case took place and/or contact the Maine State
Bureau of Identication (207-624-7240) to learn how to correct the mis-
take. See the back page for Maine court contact information.
How do I nd more information about my juvenile
record?
Contact the attorney who represented you in juvenile court or the juve-
nile clerk in the court where your juvenile case took place.
Pay $21 ($31 for non-Maine InforME subscribers) to access your record
through the Maine State Bureau of Identication at https://apps1.
web.maine.gov/online/pcr.
MAINE COURTS
AUGUSTA · 207-213-2800 · 1 Court Street, Suite 101
BANGOR · 207-561-2300 · 78 Exchange Street
BELFAST · 207-338-3107 · 103 Church Street
BIDDEFORD · 207-283-1147 · 25 Adams Street
BRIDGTON · 207-647-3535 · 3 Chase Street, Suite 2
CALAIS · 207-454-2055 · 382 South Street, Suite B
CARIBOU · 207-493-3144 · 144 Sweden Street, Suite 104
DOVERFOXCROFT · 207-564-2240 · 159 E Main Street, Suite 21
ELLSWORTH · 207-667-7141 · 50 State Street, Suite 2
FARMINGTON · 207-778-2119 · 129 Main Street, Suite 1
FORT KENT · 207-834-5003 · 139 Market Street, Suite 101
HOULTON · 207-532-2147 · 26 Court Street, Suite 201
LEWISTON · 207-795-4800 · 71 Lisbon Street
LINCOLN · 207-794-8512 · 52 Main Street
MACHIAS · 207-255-3044 · 85 Court Street
MADAWASKA · 207-728-4700 · 645 Main Street
MILLINOCKET · 207-723-4786 · 207 Penobscot Avenue
NEWPORT · 207-368-5778 · 12 Water Street
PORTLAND · 207-822-4200 · 205 Newbury Street
PRESQUE ISLE · 207-764-2055 · 27 Riverside Drive
ROCKLAND · 207-596-2240 · 62 Union Street
RUMFORD · 207-364-7171 · 145 Congress Street
SKOWHEGAN · 207-474-9518 · 47 Court Street
SOUTH PARIS · 207-743-8942 · 26 Western Avenue
SPRINGVALE · 207-459-1400 · 447 Main Street
WATERVILLE · 207-873-2103 · 18 Colby Street
WEST BATH · 207-442-0200 · 101 New Meadows Road
WISCASSET · 207-882-6363 · 32 High Street
YORK · 207-363-1230 · 11 Chases Pond Road
www.courts.maine.gov
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Juvenile Justice Clinic
Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, University of Maine School of Law
The Juvenile Justice Clinic at the University of Maine School of Law (JJC)
was established in 2006 to provide law students the opportunity to ad-
dress the needs of children and youth in a number of diverse settings.
Student attorneys represent juveniles in delinquency proceedings and
in post-disposition matters. The JJC also helps youth and adults who are
seeking to seal their juvenile records by providing information and, for
eligible clients, direct representation.
207-780-4370 (Greater Portland area)
877-780-2522 (Toll free, outside the Greater Portland area)
www.mainelaw.maine.edu/public-service/clac/
KNOW THE FACTS
What does it mean to have a...
Juvenile Record
in Maine?
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Updated January 2022
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Do I have to tell others about my juvenile record?
Applications ask about records in dierent ways. The language used
in the application determines what you are required, by law, to
disclose.
Maine law says that an adjudication for having committed a juvenile
crime is NOT a conviction.
• This means that if an application (for housing, employment, col-
lege, the military, etc.) asks if you have been convicted of a crime,
misdemeanor or a felony, you do not have to include information
about any case you had in juvenile court.
• If an application asks if you have been adjudicated of a crime or
an oense or asks about juvenile crimes or oenses, you have an
obligation to provide information about your juvenile court record,
unless your record has been sealed. This is true no matter what
type of juvenile crime is on your record.
Background searches may show that you had contact with law enforce-
ment as a juvenile. The person checking your history may not under-
stand that you were a juvenile at the time. You may be asked to explain
what happened even if your juvenile record is not open to the public.
*How do I know if I was adjudicated of a Class A, B, C, D or E juvenile crime? Here are some examples of frequently committed juvenile oenses, and their classication: A. Arson; Gross Sexual Assault; Manslaughter B. Burglary to a home; Theft of a rearm;
Aggravated Assault C. Burglary of a business/other structure; Aggravated criminal mischief (more than $2,000 damage) D. Assault; Criminal Mischief (vandalism); Criminal Trespass at a home; Criminal Threatening or Terrorizing E. Theft (shoplifting or stealing
something worth less than $500); Criminal Trespass (not a home). **Juvenile crimes that are civil violations if committed by an adult include: Possession of liquor, marijuana or drug paraphernalia (not public) • Illegal transportation of liquor by a minor (public,
driving record) • Transportation of illegal drugs by a minor (public, driving record)
What can I do about my juvenile record?
If you were adjudicated of a Class D or Class E juvenile crime or a ju-
venile crime that would be considered a civil oense if committed by
an adult,** and you have completed your juvenile court obligation, an
order sealing your juvenile case record will be issued within 5 business
days once the following has occurred:
1. Proof of completion has been provided by the Department of Cor-
rections to the Court if your disposition (sentence) involved com-
mitment to a DOC juvenile correctional facility;
2. Proof of completion has been provided by the oce of the prose-
cuting attorney to the Court if your disposition (sentence) includ-
ed restitution, community service or a restorative justice program
and the court ordered the proof of completion of the obligation be
provided to the oce of the prosecuting attorney; or
3. Proof of completion has been provided by you or your attorney to
the court that handled your juvenile case.
If you were adjudicated of murder or a Class A, B or C crime or operating
under the inuence, you can petition the juvenile court that handled
your case to seal your juvenile record if you meet certain conditions:
1. Three years have passed since you completed your juvenile court
obligations. For example, at least 3 years have passed since you
have been o juvenile probation or completed your commitment
to Long Creek and aftercare;
2. You have not been adjudicated of another juvenile oense or con-
victed of a crime since the juvenile court entered a disposition
(sentence) on your case; and
3. You have no pending (open) juvenile or criminal cases in any court.
If the judge orders your juvenile record sealed or it is automatically
sealed, your juvenile record is not public and you may respond to most
questions about your juvenile case as if it never happened without be-
ing sanctioned. Only you, the courts, District Attorneys, and law en-
forcement agencies will have access to your sealed record.
Answering questions about your juvenile record can be confusing and complicated...
We are here to help.
If you do not know how to respond to a question about your juvenile record, or if you have questions about how
to seal your juvenile record, contact your attorney or call the Juvenile Justice Clinic at 207·780·4370.
Do I have a juvenile record?
If you appeared in juvenile court and either admitted to OR a judge
found that you committed murder and/or a Class A, Class B, Class C,
juvenile crime* you have a public juvenile record.
If you appeared in juvenile court and either admitted to OR a judge
found that you committed only a Class E and/or a Class D crime, your
juvenile record is not visible to the public. If you are asked to share in-
formation about your condential juvenile record, talk with a lawyer rst.
If you met with a Juvenile Community Corrections Ocer (JCCO) and
your case did not go to juvenile court, you do not have a juvenile court
record that is visible to the public.
Charges that will be public because they are not juvenile crimes include
most civil violations by a minor and many driving and hunting crimes,
such as operating a motor vehicle without a license or shing without a
license that are handled in adult criminal court.
If the disposition of your juvenile case occurred before January 2022,
dierent rules may apply. Please contact the Juvenile Justice Clinic for
additional information and assistance.
