Guide
Maine Bankruptcy Search at a Glance
Every Maine bankruptcy case is filed in one federal court, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine. The court links below open its own site, and PACER, in the federal list further down, searches its docket.
Guide
Maine Bankruptcy Court Resources
Use the resources below to identify the correct federal bankruptcy court, check electronic filing or docket access, and locate related bankruptcy guidance for Maine.
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of MaineCourt locations: Portland and Bangor
- Filing on your own, District of MaineInstructions, the creditor list format and the Maine exemptions statute
- Trustees, District of MaineThe kinds of trustees in a case, with contact addresses
- U.S. Courts, Bankruptcy BasicsOfficial overview of bankruptcy chapters, eligibility, and court process
Under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037, filed papers may show only the last four digits of a Social Security number, the year of birth and a minor's initials. To tell apart two debtors with the same name, compare the home address and those four digits on the petition, Official Form 101.
Guide
Maine bankruptcy files: districts and access
Maine is a single federal bankruptcy district. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine, at meb.uscourts.gov, sits in Portland and Bangor, and every Maine filing is on its docket. The file is public under 11 U.S.C. 107 at $0.10 per page on PACER, $3 at most per document, free in a quarter at $30 or less, and free to view at the courthouse. This is the sharp contrast in Maine: the state court keeps the divorce Financial Statement nonpublic and shows divorce records only at a courthouse, while the bankruptcy schedules that list each deposit account by institution and the employer by name are open from anywhere. The Maine asset search page compares the two.
Guide
Related Maine pages
A bankruptcy search often leads on to state court cases, judgments and liens, and criminal or vital records. These are our related Maine pages.
- Maine Court RecordsState and county court case research and docket searches
- Maine Criminal RecordsBackground checks, criminal history, and arrest records
- Maine Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Maine Inmate SearchState DOC and county jail inmate lookup
- Maine DMV & Driving RecordsDriver license, vehicle history, and DMV services
- Maine Judgments & LiensCourt judgments, liens and UCC filings, and how to search them
By state
Bankruptcy search in other states
Each state's page names its federal bankruptcy districts and links each court's own site.
Guide
Public records directories
Our directories for Maine, all 50 states and U.S. counties, and the federal FOIA guide.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
Straight answers
Maine Bankruptcy Search, questions
Are bankruptcy records public?
Yes. All documents filed in a bankruptcy case are public records under 11 U.S.C. § 107, subject only to narrow sealing for trade secrets and certain personal identifiers.
Do states have their own bankruptcy courts?
No. Bankruptcy is exclusively federal under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and Title 11 of the U.S. Code. Each U.S. judicial district has a bankruptcy court.
How long does a bankruptcy stay on a credit report?
Chapter 7 discharges remain on a consumer credit report for 10 years from the filing date. Chapter 13 remains 7 years from filing. This is controlled by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681c).
Is there a fee to use PACER?
Registration is free. Per-page viewing is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. Users who accrue less than $30 per quarter pay nothing.