BUREAU INFORMATION

• About Us
• Programs
  • Criminal History Record Information
    • Criminal Record Challenge Process
  • Automated Fingerprint Identification System
  • Maine Sex Offender Registry
  • Records Management
• Resources
• Careers in SBI

Criminal Record Challenge Process

The State of Maine allows an individual to review and challenge the information found in his or her criminal record. He or she may contact SBI in person, over the phone, or by mail to request that an incorrect or incomplete record be changed or corrected. The request should be clear about the particular record involved, the nature of the desired correction, and the justification for it.

After someone has challenged their criminal record, SBI will research the record to determine if the information is accurate and complete. If SBI concludes that the record contains inaccurate or incomplete information, immediate action will be taken to correct the record. SBI will notify the challenger, and any entity who requested their record within the last year, of the findings and any corrections made to the record.

If an individual is not satisfied with the results of their challenge, they can appeal to the Superior Court.

Executive Clemency

Maine does not expunge (erase) criminal records, so criminal records never get "wiped clean" by a pardon. Instead, information concerning the pardoned conviction is considered non-conviction data and is not available for public inquiries. Information related to a conditional pardon (or commutation of sentence) may still be disseminated for public inquiries. The forms to file a Petition for Executive Clemency and a detailed explanation of the process are available on the Secretary of State's website.