York County Court Records

York County court records refer to any document or material collected and maintained by a court during a case proceeding (MRECS Rule 2.17(a)). Court records may exist in electronic or paper formats and include pleadings, motions, registries of action, orders, judgments, decrees/ opinions.

Generally, Maine courts maintain records of case information and court records for various legal and administrative reasons like fostering openness and accountability within the judicial system and facilitating case reviews and appeals.

Are Court Records Public in York County?

Yes. Court records are presumed to be part of York County's public records under the Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA). Anyone in York County may request to inspect and copy publicly available court records stored in electronic or paper formats. Certain records, like juvenile records and those designated sealed or confidential by law, are exempt from public access under the FOAA.

In York County, electronic access to court records is governed by the Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems and Administrative Order JB-20-03. These rules ensure that public access to electronic court data does not interfere with the privacy rights of record subjects and the judicial branch. Per the MRECS, the following records are not considered public court records:

• Memoranda, notes, drafts, and any such document prepared or collected by a judicial officer when researching a judgment, order, or opinion.
• Materials used by a judge or justice in a judicial settlement conference and notes taken by the judicial officer during court proceedings
• Information gathered by a governmental entity for a Maine judicial branch and prohibited from public access by law
• Exhibits presented in court or during the preparation for a trial
• Internal working drafts, reports, and analyses documented by a justice or Magistrate related to work assignments, court practices, and procedures
• Juror information and discovery documents
• Health information and medical records such as HIV testing and substance use evaluations
• Adoption and domestic violence records
• Personally identifying information and other sensitive data in court records such as financial documents, statements, tax information, and account numbers.

York County Court Records Search

Generally, York County court records researchers have the following online and offline options:

• The office of the Clerk of Superior Court
• The clerk of the courthouse where the case was filed
• The Maine eCourts public portal where electronic filing is available
• Public access kiosks maintained by the courthouse
• Independent record providers aka third-party websites.

York County Court Records Search by Name

To search for York County court records by name, one must have either a business (company) name or the first/last names of parties involved in the case. There are two options typically available for conducting a court record search by name in York County; in-person and online.

Interested persons may visit the courthouse where a case was filed or adjudicated to submit a request letter/form. This request letter should contain the party name and other criteria that may ease the search such as a case number or filing date. The courthouses typically charge a search fee of $20 per name aside from additional charges for copying and certification.

To access court records by name online, enter a name on the Maine eCourts public portal page and the database will produce a list of matching results. Entering additional filters like the record number, hearing date, or date of birth may facilitate the search and narrow down the results.

York County Courts

The York County Judicial branch has three types of courts: Superior, District, and Probate Courts. These different courts handle diverse suits, for instance, the probate court oversees matters of estates and parental rights, whereas the district courts handle criminal, civil, and family cases. The contact information of the various courthouses situated in York County is listed below:

York County Superior Court
45 Kennebunk Road
P.O. Box 160
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-5122

York County District Court - Biddeford
25 Adams Street
Biddeford, ME 04005
Phone: (207) 283-1147

York County District Court - Springvale
447 Main Street
Springvale, ME 04083
Phone: (207) 459-1400

York County District Court - York
11 Chases Pond Road
York, ME 03909
Phone: (207) 363-1230

York County Probate Court
45 Kennebunk Road
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-1577.

York County Superior Court Case Search

York County Superior Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction and jury trials in the State of Maine. The Superior Court of York County maintains paperless (electronic) and paper records of case files, documents, and information on cases it decides. A York County Superior County case search may be done physically or electronically.

Requestors may submit completed record request forms in person to the clerk of the superior court or send them through mail or other courier services. Search parameters like the first and last names of case parties, case numbers, date of birth (for criminal cases), or docket number are required to process search requests. Completed request forms and request fees may be submitted in person at:

York County Superior Court
45 Kennebunk Road
P.O. Box 160
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-5122

Or mailed to:
York Judicial Branch Service Center
P.O. Box 266
Lewiston, ME 04243.

Individuals searching for case records in which they are parties may access case files for free at the clerk’s office while third parties are required to pay a search fee of $20 per name and search box ticked. Requesting copies of case records costs $2 for the first page, $1 per additional copy, and a $5 certification fee per document. Acceptable payment methods include checks, money orders, and credit cards. For more inquiries, contact the Judicial Branch Service Center at jbrecordcheck@courts.maine.gov or (207) 753-2901.

Alternatively, the Maine online court management system may be used by concerned persons to research York County Superior court case records. A party's first and last name is the basic requirement for searching the Maine eCourts public portal.

York County District Court Records

The District Courts in York County preside over criminal, civil, and family cases within the jurisdiction of the cities and towns under them. Appeals and complex cases from the District Courts are sent to the Superior Court for adjudication.

To access York County district court records, residents may submit requests in person or send mail requests to the courthouse with jurisdiction to process such requests. Interested persons may also input a last or first name into the public search portal to retrieve information about cases filed with and decided by the district courts in York County.

York County Criminal Records

York County criminal records are presumed public records and may be requested by any member of the public except otherwise stated by law. For York County arrest records and criminal records, concerned persons may query the York County Sheriff’s Office at:

York County Sheriff's Department
1 Layman Way
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-1113

Moreover, the Maine State Police’s Bureau of Identification (SBI) also provides statewide criminal records or background checks. The SBI accepts and processes requests for criminal history records via the InforME portal.

Requestors must provide a date of birth or full name of the record subject to commence a search. Subscribers are charged $21 per background check and non-subscribers pay $31 for each record check. Requesting notarized copies of criminal history records from the SBI attracts an additional charge of $10 per copy.

York County Criminal Court Case Lookup

To lookup York County criminal court cases, a researcher must first determine the originating court and confirm the availability of the desired record(s). Once the court of jurisdiction has been established, the requestor may visit the courthouse physically to inspect such records or send mail requests. Interested persons may also utilize remote options such as the state’s eCourts public portal and the public access computer terminals provided at the courthouses.

Get York County Civil Court Records

Civil court records in York County comprise all filed case information involving a noncriminal dispute between two parties. It usually results from claims of damage, tort, hurt, debt, infringed rights, bankruptcy, and property ownership.

The superior and district courts in York County both prepare and preserve civil court records. To obtain and inspect these records one may:

• Pay a visit to the specific courthouse where the case was filed
• Search online repositories maintained by the judicial branch in the county
• Send mail or electronic requests to the record custodian.

The fees and procedures attached to retrieving and copying York County civil court records are similar to those discussed in the previous sections.

York County Family Court Records

The Family Division of the Judicial Branch in York County handles family law matters and cases including divorce, separation, parental rights, and obligations. Concerned persons may retrieve a family court record:

• At the courthouse where the case was initially filed or decided
• Online via the judicial branch’s case management system

In both options, providing a case number, party name, or filing date is a prerequisite for the search process.

York County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of Marriage records in York County includes records of nullity, annulment, separation, and divorce. They are classified as family court records and may be obtained from the Family Division of the courts online, in person, or via mail. A case number or subject’s name is usually the fundamental criteria for the search.

York County Marriage and Divorce Records

York County marriage and divorce records are maintained by the Vital Records Office of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. The Vital Records Office has records of marriages and divorces dating back to 1892. Marriage and divorce records are accessible to the subjects and individuals who can prove a direct and legitimate interest.

To order a York County Marriage Certificate/York County Divorce certificate:

• Fill out the appropriate sections of the vital records application form
• Attach a valid identification such as a driver's license or passport
• Pay $15 for certified copies and $10 for non-certified copies by check or credit card
• Submit the completed form and appropriate fees in person or by mail in a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Maine Department of Health and Human Services
Vital Records Office
220 Capitol Street
11 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0011
Phone: (207) 287-3181
Toll-Free: (888) 664-9491

York County Divorce judgments, decrees, and case files may be available for public inspection at the courthouse of jurisdiction and electronic databases.

York County Birth and Death Records

York County birth and death records make up York County vital records, the same as marriage and divorce records. York County birth records not up to 75 years old and death records less than 25 years old are not publicly available. Entities authorized by law to request non-public birth/ death records in York County include:

• The individual named on the record
• Subject spouse or domestic partner
• Parents of the named individual
• Descendants of the record subject
• Legal custodians and representatives of the subject
• Genealogists with a researcher identity card.

York County birth and death certificates from 1892 are available at the vital records office. Eligible persons may request a York County birth certificate or a York County death certificate from the vital records office as described previously. Both certificates cost $15 for certified copies and $10 for informational copies.

York County Probate Court Records

The York County Probate Court has jurisdiction to hear cases of probate, administration of estates, construction of wills/trusts, name change, parental rights/ responsibilities, guardianship, and conservatorship of aged/minors.

The York County Registry of Probate is the custodian of Probate court records created from 1687 to the present. To inspect and copy probate court records, visit:

York County Registry of Probate
149 Jordan Springs Road
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-1577
Email: probate@yorkcountymaine.gov.

One may also search the Maine eCourts online portal for case files and information about York County Probate cases. Inspecting York County probate records at the registry may be free, however, making copies and certifying them usually incurs costs. Mail requests for York County probate court records may be sent to:

York County Registry of Probate
45 Kennebunk Road
Alfred, ME 04002.

York County Property Records

York County property records are maintained by the Registry of Deeds and include plans, maps, title/ ownership information, mortgages, liens, and deeds. The Registry of Deeds charges members of the public $1 per page for copying property records and $5 per document for certification. Interested persons may use the contact information below to make physical and mail requests for property records.

York County Registry of Deeds
45 Kennebunk Road
Alfred, ME 04002
Phone: (207) 324-1576

Mailing Address:
Registry of Deeds
P.O. Box 339
Alfred, ME 04002.

The Registry of Deeds also makes property records available online for interested persons. To use the online platform, requestors must create a free account and log in. Company name, book, page, document description, and town are some of the required search parameters users need to enter into the search fields.

Account holders on the search platform may inspect 500 pages for free within a calendar year. Subsequently, users are charged $0.50 per page.

York County Court Records Online

Besides the judicial branch, most third-party websites like Mainecourtrecords.us provide the public with free access to York County court records. These third-party websites, otherwise known as aggregators, are large databases of information sourced abroad. They are owned by nongovernmental entities and are usually commercialized.

Third-party websites' user interfaces are friendly and less complex, so most researchers see these sites as their go-to for retrieving York County court records. However, they are not recommended as a reference for making vital decisions as the information they contain may not be consistent with official records.