Maine Genealogy Search

Maine family history begins as Massachusetts history, because Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, and the earliest records sit in Massachusetts archives and in the Maine towns, which have kept vital and land records since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1892, and the Maine State Archives in Augusta holds the state's vital records from 1892 to 1922 with a free online index, the pre-1892 town records on microfilm and the county probate and deed records.

Maine's counties hold deeds and probate, but vital records belong to the towns, so a Maine search means the town clerk as well as the county registry.

Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.

Maine statewide genealogy links

• Maine State Archives Secretary of StateMaine Government Archives
• Maine State Archives Interactive DatabasesState Archives Databases
• Maine Marriage History Records SearchSearch Maine Marriage History
• Death History Search of Maine ArchivesSearch Maine Death Records
• Maine State Archives and Libraries SearchMaine Archives and Libraries Search
• Genealogy and Family History Research at Maine Historical SocietyMaine Historical Society Resources
• Maine State LibraryMaine Library Genealogical Resources
• USGenWeb Archives MaineSearch Maine GenWeb Archives
• Search National Archives and Records Administration Microfilm CatalogMaine Genealogy Research at the National Archives

Maine began statewide birth, death and marriage registration in 1892, with towns keeping records from their settlement, and the Maine Center for Disease Control's Vital Records office in Augusta holds records since 1922, while the Maine State Archives holds 1892 to 1922 with a free online index and the older town records on microfilm. Birth records are restricted for 75 years, marriage records for 50 and death records for 25, after which they are public. Marriage intentions and returns were recorded by the towns from the colonial period, and divorce records sit with the district court.

• Maine State ArchivesVital records 1892 to 1922 index, town records and county records on microfilm, checked September 25, 2026
• Maine Vital Records officeBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates since 1922, checked September 25, 2026
• Maine Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public

The Maine State Archives holds Maine's Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I service records, the Maine State Prison registers, county court records, land office records for the public lands sold from 1820 onward and the Massachusetts period land grants, and it offers free online databases. Maine took no state censuses, so the federal censuses from 1790 and the town records carry the family. The Maine Historical Society in Portland holds manuscripts, family papers and the Maine Memory Network's free digital collections, and the Maine State Library in Augusta holds the genealogy collection and newspapers. The National Archives at Boston holds Maine's federal court, customs and naturalization records.

• Maine Memory NetworkFree digitized Maine records, photographs and documents, checked September 25, 2026
• Maine Historical SocietyManuscripts, family papers and genealogy collections, checked September 25, 2026
• National Archives at BostonFederal court, customs and naturalization records for Maine, checked September 25, 2026
• FamilySearch Maine research guideFree indexed Maine records and images, checked September 25, 2026

Maine's county registries of deeds hold land records from each county's founding, with York County's going back to 1636, and the registries of probate hold wills, estates and guardianships; both post indexes online through the Maine registries' shared systems. Town clerks hold the vital records, marriage intentions and town meeting records, and the State Archives has microfilmed most town books through 1892. Maine's 16 counties formed from York County, so the oldest deeds and probate for the whole state sit in Alfred.

• Maine County Public RecordsRegistries of deeds and probate and town clerks for all 16 counties
• Maine Court RecordsUnified Criminal Docket and civil case information

These federal and national sources complement Maine's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Maine state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.

NARA, National Archives The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.

FamilySearch Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.

Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.