Bar Harbor Town, Maine Public Records

Inspecting records is free under Maine's Freedom of Access Act, and agencies may charge only copying costs plus $25 an hour after the first two hours of staff time. A certified Maine birth, death or marriage certificate costs $15 from the town clerk or the state, with $6 for each additional copy, and registries of deeds charge set copy fees.

Ask the Bar Harbor police department if the town has its own force; most small Maine towns are covered by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office or the Maine State Police. Crash reports are bought online through the Maine Crash Reporting System, while police investigative records are generally not public under Maine law.

Cases from Hancock County are heard by the Maine Superior Court and District Court for the county. re:SearchMaine gives online access to electronically filed cases, though some records can be seen only at the courthouse, and the clerk checks older paper cases.

Deeds and mortgages are recorded at the Hancock County Registry of Deeds, and every registry offers online land record search. Property taxes in Maine are set and collected by the town, so the town assessor values property and the town tax collector sends the bill.

The municipal clerk in Bar Harbor issues certified birth, death and marriage certificates for events in the town or for residents, usually while you wait, and the state office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics in Augusta issues them too. A certified copy costs $15, with $6 for each additional copy.

Yes. The Maine State Bureau of Identification runs public criminal history record checks by name and date of birth online for a fee. Court records are also available from the clerk.

Maine agencies must acknowledge a request within five working days and give a good-faith estimate of the time needed under the Freedom of Access Act, 1 M.R.S. 408-A. Staff time after the first two hours may cost $25 an hour.