Breaking a Protection Order
19-A M.R.S. § 4113 — a Class D crime once the person knew of the order
Violating a protection order is a Class D crime when the defendant had prior actual notice of it, which need not be service in hand. A violation only of the order's provisions on matters like support or property is treated as contempt instead.
Who handles this in Maine: Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project and Maine Judicial Branch, Help Topics; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
- Violating a final order through reckless conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the protected person, or by assaulting that person, is a Class C crime.
- A violation with 2 or more prior convictions for violating an order is a Class C crime.
- An officer may arrest without a warrant on probable cause, whether or not the violation happened in the officer's presence.
Sources for this section (1)
- 19-A M.R.S. § 4113 — Violation
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.