Someone died in Maine. Start here.
The first 24 hours, in order, then the first week and the first month, with Maine's actual rules for death certificates, cremation, and probate. This page is free. No account required.
Sources: official Maine statutes and agencies, linked below. Last updated: September 2026.
Start with safety, the required local response, and the people who can help. The exact process depends on where and how the death occurred.
These figures come from the same data as our full Maine guide, built from state statutes and official agencies.
Death certificate
Filed within 5 days
The window runs from the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs. Confirm the current fee with the issuing office; the guide's last-reviewed first-copy or search fee starts at $15. Additional-copy, vendor, and expedited fees may differ.
Source: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, §2842 (opens in a new tab)Cremation
No fixed statutory wait
Maine doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Source: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, §2843 (opens in a new tab)Probate
$52,500 listed amount
The amount alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Confirm which property counts, how it’s valued, the waiting period, ownership, any pending court case, and every other state condition.
Source: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 18-C, §§ 3-108, 3-1201 (opens in a new tab)Estate tax
Yes, this state has one
Maine's estate tax has state-specific exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties. Check the linked state tax authority.
Source 1: Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, §4103 (opens in a new tab)Source 2: IRS: 2026 estate tax basic exclusion amount (opens in a new tab)Days 2 to 7 · 1 to 7 days
These tasks often begin during the first week, but local requirements and the family's circumstances may change the order.
Weeks 2 to 4 · 1 to 4 weeks
The immediate calls may slow down. Estate, account, benefit, property, and tax work often continues for months.
The Long Game · 1 month+
Estate administration may take months or longer. The timing depends on the assets, claims, disputes, tax work, court schedule, and state procedure.
Have the death officially pronounced. For an expected hospice death, call the hospice nurse and follow the hospice instructions. For an unexpected death, call 911 and don’t move the body until you’re told you can. Then notify the closest people and, after the body is released, contact the funeral, cremation, burial, or donation provider the person chose.
In Maine, the death certificate must be filed within 5 days of the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs.
Maine is a closed record state. Someone listed on the record can order with ID and the fee; anyone else has to show a direct and legitimate interest with documents: the spouse or registered domestic partner, a guardian, descendants, family such as grandparents, siblings, stepparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and in-laws with proof of lineage, an attorney or agent, the funeral establishment or informant, or someone who needs it for a creditor, lender, Social Security or insurance purpose. Non-certified copies of death records 25 years or older are open to anyone. Certified copies come from Maine's Data, Research and Vital Statistics, Maine CDC, in Augusta; municipal clerks issue certified copies too.
$15 for a certified copy from the state office, per the fee page linked on this page. Covers a search and one copy, charged whether or not the record is found. Additional copies at the same time are $6. One copy is free for a Veterans Administration benefit claim.
From Maine's Data, Research and Vital Statistics, Maine CDC, in Augusta; municipal clerks issue certified copies too, in person in Augusta, by mail, from a municipal clerk, or online or by phone through VitalChek. The official order page is linked on this page. The funeral home usually orders the first copies for you.
Maine doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Maine's stated small-estate threshold is $52,500. Value alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Ownership, asset type, timing, beneficiaries, debts, and other state requirements can affect whether a simplified procedure is available.
Yes. Maine has a state estate tax. Exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties vary. Check the linked state tax authority. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026, and Form 706 may also be relevant for certain elections.
These ticks stay in this browser and don’t transfer into an account. A free MORTL account has a separate dashboard and planning tools when you’re ready for them.