Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where do I get copies of birth, marriage, death and divorce records?
- For certified abstracts of divorce decrees since 1892; and for births, marriages, and deaths since 1 923: Office of Vital Records , 221 State Street, Augusta, ME 04333.
- For births, marriages, and deaths 1892 to 1922: Maine State Archives , 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084. For a specific record of birth, marriage, or death, call 207-287-5795, write, or e-mail the Archives. Send $6 for a single non-certified copy; $10 for a certified copy. This fee includes our search charge and is not refundable.
- For births, marriages, and deaths prior to 1892: contact the Town Clerk where the birth, marriage or death occured; however, there was no requirement that they be recorded and many were not.
2. Why do you not list deaths on-line prior to 1960?
- This index was originally created by the Office of Vital Records in 1956 when that Office changed from filing deaths alphabetically, year by year, and started to file them by certificate number. Unfortunately, the computer disks for 1956-1959 are unreadable.
3. Why is there a 10 year gap in the marriage index ?
- The Office of Vital Records computer disks are unreadable.
4. Why do the marriage and death records not have more recent dates?
- These are the latest records received from the Office of Vital Records.
5. Why are there no birth indexes on-line?
- No birth indexes are on-line due to confidentiality issues.
6. Do you have any plans to put pre-1892 vital records on-line?
- Due to staffing levels and the huge volume of pre-1892 records, there are no plans for having all early birth, marriage and death records on-line. Check the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' site at http://www.familysearch.org
7. What if I find a mistake in the name spelling or date?
- We are unable to make corrections to the index. Contact us with the correct information and when we have developed a method for updating, we will verify the information and make the necessary changes. (Usually the official record is correct, though the index may be in error.)
This page was last updated March 3, 2006
