Maine Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
Maine Background Check from Abroad
Yes, and Maine explicitly prices a notarised version for visas and international adoptions.
- Fee
- $31.00, or $41.00 notarised
- Processing
- Three to five weeks by post
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | Maine State Police, State Bureau of Identification |
|---|---|
| Form | Criminal history record check request, name-based or fingerprint-based |
| Fee | $31.00, or $41.00 notarised |
| Payment | Cheque or money order with the request. |
| Processing | Three to five weeks by post |
| Post to | State Bureau of Identification, State House Station #42, Augusta, ME 04333-0042 |
The Maine State Police, State Bureau of Identification page for this request
Specific to Maine
- Pay the $41.00 notarised rate. Maine offers it precisely for overseas use, and notarisation is what lets it be apostilled afterwards.
- Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope, which from abroad means arranging U.S. return postage in advance.
Getting fingerprinted where you are
Local police, a private fingerprinting service, a U.S. post if it still offers it, or ink at home. Take more than one card. Use the FD-258 unless Maine specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A Maine criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Maine, not by the U.S. Department of State. Most states require the response to be notarised or certified before the authenticating authority will touch it, and several sell a notarised version for exactly this purpose. Buy it at the time rather than discovering later that you have to start again.
We handle the apostille
Once your Maine check exists we can authenticate it, legalise it for a non-Convention country, and have it translated. Tell us the destination and the deadline.
Questions people actually ask
Can I request my Maine record from outside the United States?
Yes, and Maine explicitly prices a notarised version for visas and international adoptions.
What does it cost?
$31.00, or $41.00 notarised Cheque or money order with the request.
How long does it take?
Three to five weeks by post. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the Maine check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that Maine reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A Maine check is a state document, so it is authenticated by Maine rather than by the U.S. Department of State, and it usually has to be notarised or certified first.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
