Welcome to the Maine Secretary of State Effective Communication and Language Access

The Secretary of State is committed to providing services that are accessible to all eligible individuals, including linguistic and cultural minority groups with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and individuals with disabilities that affect communication.

Please let us know if your primary language is not English or you have a disability affecting communication. The department will provide a qualified interpreter and/or and auxiliary aids and services AT NO COST to ensure effective communication and access to department programs and services. All department staff have been trained on how to arrange for interpreters or auxiliary aids and services, so you can ask any staff member.

Definitions

Interpreter - An interpreter is a neutral third party with the requisite bilingual skills, trained in the process of interpreting and having knowledge of the content area in order to effectively facilitate communication between two or more parties who do not share a common language. In person or by telephone.

Sign language interpreters in Maine must be licensed and certified. They must provide you and the Deaf person with a disclosure paper showing a photograph, and their license number.

Translator - Translators facilitate written communication from one language to another. For example, letters to customers in their primary languages.

There may be a need to print certain documents in various languages. Determination will be made on a program-by-program basis which documents will be automatically translated. Audio or video translations, if needed (in lieu of printed material) may be utilized for customers who do not read. In the event no written translation of a needed document is available, BMV will either have the document translated or hire an in-person or telephone interpreter to sight-translate the document in a timely manner.