Death certificates are available at the Town Office where the death occurred, at the Town Office where the decedent lived at the time of death, and in Augusta at the Office of Vital Records.
Effective July 12, 2010, the new law preventing fraudulent use of vital records went into effect. Maine’s new law requires a person requesting a copy of death records less than 25 years old to provide documentation establishing their direct and legitimate interest in the records.
Individuals who may access death records less than 25 years old include:
- Informant named on the record (must show personal ID)
- Funeral establishment named on the record (must show personal ID)
- The person’s spouse or registered domestic partner (must show marriage certificate unless that person is named on the death record)
- The parent(s) named on the record
- Guardian (must show court issued guardianship papers)
- Descendants of the person named on the record (child, grandchild, must show lineage)
- Registrant’s legal custodian, guardian, or conservator or respective authorized representative (includes attorney, physician, or funeral director). Must show notarized statement from decedent’s family or proof of contract.
- Family: Grandparent, sibling, stepparent, step-child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law (must show proof of relationship)
- Genealogists who have a Maine CDC issued researcher identification card and have a direct and legitimate interest in the record. Must show personal ID, Maine ODRVS researcher card and written authorization to receive the record (direct and legitimate interest).
Proof of identity must be presented to the Town Clerk. A brief application for securing a copy of the vital record must be filled out and presented, along with positive identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued picture identification that clearly shows that the person requesting the record is who they say they are. Identification requirements apply whether the records are requested in person or by mail. More information on this issue may be found at www.mainepublichealth.gov
The fee for obtaining a certified copy of a death certificate is $15.00 for the first copy of the record, and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record purchased at the same time. Certified copies may be obtained at the Town Clerks’ Office during regular business hours. Non-certified copies stamped “Not for Legal Use” are $5.00.
In order to obtain a death certificate through the mail, the applicant needs to fill out a vital records search application and enclose a copy of proper identification and proof of lineage, if applicable. The application, along with the fee and a self-addressed, stamped envelope should be mailed to the Town Clerk at 809 Embden Pond Road, Embden, ME 04958. The request will be processed the same day it is received.