BANGOR, Maine — A new law signed in April that restricts access to certain vital records takes effect on Monday, July 12.
Bangor City Clerk Patti Dubois said her office, as all municipalities across the state, is gearing up for the changes that are designed to deter fraudulent use of vital records.
“It’s certainly going to take more time for people because we have to verify identity and in some cases confirm lineage,” said Dubois, whose office handles 15,000 vital record requests a year. “People can call ahead to avoid issues.”
Until LD 1781 was passed, Maine was one of a handful of states that allowed anyone access to public records. Dubois said some people were using those records to commit identity fraud or for other sinister uses.
Now, the only people who will be allowed to obtain birth and death certificates, marriage licenses and disposition (burial) permits are:
• The person named on the record.
• The person’s spouse or registered domestic partner.
• The parent (s) named on the record.
• Descendants of the person named on the record, provided they can prove lineage.
• A legal custodian, guardian or other authorized representative of the person named on the record.
• Genealogists who have a state-issued researcher identification card.
Anyone requesting a record must present valid identification and fill out a brief application that indicates why they want the record. All records will be made available for general release after 100 years.
In conjunction with LD 1781, the state now requires municipalities to increase the fees associated with vital record requests.
The first copy of a birth or death certificate or a marriage license will increase from $10 to $15. For each additional copy, the fee is $6 instead of $5. Marriage licenses are $40, up from $30, and disposition permits, which were $5, have increased to $20.
Dubois said the fee increase was not done at municipalities’ request, but rather because the state is expected to charge towns and cities fees to help subsidize the state office of data research and vital records.
“It’s going to be taxing for the first few months, so we ask for patience,” Bangor’s clerk said.
More information about the law changes are available online at www.bangormaine.gov and www.mainepublichealth.gov.