Sealing a Record
15 M.R.S. § 2262 — a Class E conviction, sealed after 4 years without another
A Class E conviction may be sealed, with some exceptions, and so may certain former marijuana convictions. Sealing makes the record confidential criminal history record information that criminal justice agencies do not give out to the public.
Who handles this in Maine: Maine Judicial Branch, Help Topics; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
- At least 4 years have passed since every part of the sentence was fully satisfied.
- No new conviction, here or elsewhere, and no charge dismissed after a deferred disposition, since then.
- No criminal charge pending anywhere.
The motion is filed in the original criminal case, and the court sets a hearing. There is a right to a lawyer but not one paid for by the State. A person who proves each requirement by a preponderance of the evidence gets a written order sealing the conviction.
A new conviction unseals it. A later conviction anywhere unseals the record, and the person files a written notice of it in the original case.
Sources for this section (4)
- 15 M.R.S. § 2261 — Definitions
- 15 M.R.S. § 2262 — Statutory prerequisites for sealing criminal history record information
- 15 M.R.S. § 2264 — Motion and hearing; process
- 15 M.R.S. § 2265 — Special restrictions on dissemination and use of criminal history record information
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.