An Act To Transfer All Registry of Deeds and Probate Functions to the Secretary of State and Courts
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1614
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: ROBINSON, SNOWE-MELLO, AUSTIN, CEBRA, CROSTHWAITE, DUPREY, FITTS, FLETCHER
Amends: 33 MRSA §6, 33 MRSA §654, 33 MRSA §657, 33 MRSA §658, 33 MRSA §659, 33 MRSA §660, 33 MRSA §661, 33 MRSA §662, 33 MRSA §663, 33 MRSA §666, 33 MRSA §669, 33 MRSA §670, 33 MRSA §751, 33 MRSA §752, 18-A MRSA §1

Legislative Document 
No. 1614 
H.P.I136 
House of Representatives, March 21, 2007 
An Act To Transfer All Registry of Deeds and Probate Functions to 
the Secretary of State and Courts 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
1l/~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative ROBINSON of Raymond. 
Cosponsored by Senator SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin and 
Representatives: AUSTIN of Gray, CEBRA of Naples, CROSTHWAITE of Ellsworth, 
DUPREY of Hampden, FITTS of Pittsfield, FLETCHER of Winslow, SA V AGE of Falmouth. 
Printed 011 Te\:ycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-l. 33 MRSA c. 11, sub-c. 1, as amended, is repealed. 
Sec. A-2. 33 MRSA §6S1, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 55, § I, is 
amended to read: 
§651. Records; index 
The records and indexes in eaeh registry offiee the office of the Secretary of State 
must be made and kept for public inspection on at least one of the following media: 
white, acid-free paper, microfilm, microfiche, or digital image stored on magnetic or 
optical media. The register office of the Secretary of State shall make an alphabetical 
index to the records without charge to the county so that the same surnames are recorded 
together and shall show in addition to the names of the parties and the nature of the 
instrument, the date of the instrument, the date of its record and the name of the city, 
town or unincorporated place where the land conveyed is situated. As often as every 10 
years the register office of the Secretary of State shall revise and consolidate the index in 
such manner that all deeds recorded since the last revision of the index are indexed so that 
the same surnames appear together and all names are in alphabetical order. The revised 
and consolidated index must contain all data as to each and every deed or other 
instrument referred to in this section. If it becomes necessary to revise, renew or replace 
any index, the new index must be made in conformity with this section. 
When the register of cleecls office of the Secretary of State is required by law or 
common practice to make a note in the margin of a record, it is determined sufficient if 
the note is made to the index in such a fashion that the note becomes a permanent part of 
the indexing of the record to which the marginal note is required to be made. 
The register office of the Secretary of State shall prepare, or have prepared, a 
microfilm record of each page of every instrument, plan or other document recorded in 
the regisH)' office. The microfilm record made must be stored in a fireproof area. When 
original record books or plans are considered by the register Secretary of State to be in a 
condition that warrants withdrawal from regular use, the register Secretary of State may 
make a true copy of the contents of the record or may provide suitable means for reading 
the microfilm, microfiche or digital image stored on magnetic or optical media of the 
instruments withdrawn. The records and certified copies made either from the true copy 
or from images stored as provided in this section must be received in all courts of law 
with the same legal effect as those contained in the original. 
Sec. A-3. 33 MRSA §6S1-A, as amended by PL 1993, c. 230, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
§651-A. Grantor, grantee names; form of indexing 
No instrument executed on or after October 1,1983, may be accepted by a register of 
deeds the office of the Secretary of State for recording unless beneath the signature of the 
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grantor, grantee, if it appears on the instrument, and the person taking the 
acknowledgement, the name of each signer is typed or printed. Names used for indexing 
must be indexed as typed or printed under each signature. A name may be typed or 
printed under a signature at the registry of deeds office of the Secretary of State by the 
person bringing the instrument to the registry office of the Secretary of the State, as long 
as the name is typed or printed on the instrument prior to the certification on the 
instrument under section 653 of the time when the instrument was received. The register 
of deeds office of the Secretary of State may return documents that are not legible for 
recording and archival purposes. 
Sec. A-4. 33 MRSA §6S2, first~, as repealed and replaced by PL 1991, c. 497, 
§ I, is amended to read: 
The county commissioners office of the Secretary of State shall provide, at the 
e)(pense of the several counties, suitable storage for plans with a minimum size of 12 by 
and a maximum of 24 by 36 inches in dimension, for the preservation of such plans. 
Sec. A-S. 33 MRSA §6S2, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 497, § 1, is amended 
to read: 
4. Recording information. Provide a space for recording the county, date, time, 
plan book and page or file number and register's the Secretary of State's attest; and 
Sec. A-6. 33 MRSA §6S2, 2nd ~, as amended by PL 2003, c. 55, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
Original plans must be recorded with a paper copy. 
The register office of the 
Secretary of State shall permanently file the original and maintain a copy for public 
inspection in at least one of the following media: paper, microfilm, microfiche or digital 
image stored on magnetic or optical media. Suitable arrangements must be made for the 
preserving of original plans while affording the public reasonable opportunity to examine 
either the original or a reproduction. No additional fee is required for recording the copy. 
Each register The office of the Secretary of State shall maintain an index of all plans on 
records in the register's office office of the Secretary of State. 
Sec. A-7. 33 MRSA §6S2, last~, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 497, § 1, is amended 
to read: 
The several registers office of the Secretary of State shall establish, and thereafter 
adhere to, reasonable standards for the implementation of reproducing copies of original 
plans as recorded. 
Reproduction must be on a scale of one to one and must be 
accomplished with the least possible error and distortion. Methods of reproduction must 
be to standards in keeping with accepted engineering and survey practices. 
Sec. A-8. 33 MRSA §6S3, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 55, §3, is 
amended to read: 
§653. Time of recording; verification 
A register The office of the Secretary of State shall, at the time of receiving a deed or 
instrument for record, certify on the deed or instrument the day and the hour and minute 
when it was received and the book number and page number where the document is 
located. If the deed or instrument does not have sufficient room on the page or pages for 
the location of the recording information so that the register office of the Secretary of 
State is required to add an additional page for the placement of the recording information. 
the register office of the Secretary of State may charge in addition to any other fees 
allowed by law a fee of $2 for each page the register office of the Secretary of State is 
required to add. An instrument is considered recorded at the time when it was received 
and that time must be entered on the record. The register office of the Secretarv of State 
shall enter that time, the names of the grantor and grantee and the name of the town or 
unincorporated place as shown by the instrument in which the property affected is located 
in a record kept for that purpose and open to inspection in business hours. The reg-i5t€f 
office of the Secretary of State may not permit a deed or instrument for the conveyance of 
real estate to be altered, amended or withdrawn until it is fully recorded and examined. 
The record must be verified as a true record of the original document by comparing the 
indexing record and the copy kept for public inspection, as described in section 651, to 
the original document before the original document is allowed to leave the regiSh)' offite 
office of the Secretary of State. 
Sec. A-9. 33 MRSA §654, as amended by PL 2003, c. 55, §4, is further amended 
to read: 
§654. Miscellaneous records 
Registers shall The office of the Secretary of State is designated to receive and record 
all certificates in equitable proceedings, copies of judgments and decrees certified by the 
clerk of courts in the county where the complaint is pending or the judgment or decree is 
rendered, certified copies of the proceedings of any court, corporation, municipal body or 
other tribunal through or by which the right of eminent domain has been or may be 
exercised to affect the title to real estate, copies of portions of wills devising real estate 
situated in their respective counties or districts and all other instruments that they are by 
law required to record. They shall The office of the Secretary of State is designated to 
receive all copies of seizures on execution and special attachments made and attested by 
any officer of real property s+tuate situated in their respective counties or districts and 
certify on them the time when they are received, and certificates of advertised stallions 
and copies of processes against domestic corporations filed for service by officers in the 
registry office of the Secretary of State, keep them on file for the inspection of parties 
interested and enter them in suitable records properly indexed. 
Sec. A-tO. 33 MRS A §655, as amended by PL 1973, c. 28, § 14, IS further 
amended to read: 
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§655. Town records to State Archivist for safekeeping 
All persons, other than registers of deeds the Secretary of State, having possession of 
or owning the records of the original proprietors of any town or plantation in this State, 
may deliver the same to the State Archivist for preservation and safekeeping. 
Sec. A-II. 33 MRSA §657 is amended to read: 
§657. Filing of subdivision plats; penalty 
Whoever lots or causes to be lotted for the purpose of sale any tract of land shall, 
before making any deed of such land or any part thereof, file with the register of deeds for 
the county or registry district '""herein such land is situated office of the Secretary of State 
lOan accurate plan of such property, which plan slHHl must give such courses, angles and 
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distances as will be sufficient to enable a skillful surveyor to locate any lot shown 
thereby. If such party, after request by any interested party or by the register of deeds 
office of the Secretary of State, fails to comply with this section, he shall be the party is 
liable to a penalty of not more than $50, to be recovered in a civil action in the name of 
the register of deeds office of the Secretary of State for the benefit of the county. 
Sec. A-12. 33 MRSA §658 is amended to read: 
§658. Recording of releases or waivers of conditions 
Whenever land has been lotted in accordance with section 657 and lots described 
therein have been conveyed by deeds of conveyance containing one or more uniform 
conditions wfl..i€.ft that restrict the full and unqualified enjoyment of the right or estate 
granted, the grantor may subsequently by a writing under seal and by the grantor signed 
and acknowledged and recorded in the registry of deeds for tHe COUR!)' or registry district 
iR which the land lies office of the Secretary of State, release and waive one or more of 
such conditions by reference to lot numbers, block numbers, section numbers or other apt 
description. Such release and waiver need not state a consideration and need not contain 
the names of the grantees or present owners of the respective parcels. Such release and 
waiver shall thereafter accrue to the respective individual benefit of the owners of the 
parcels described in such release and waiver and may be used by them as a bar to any 
action by the said grantor for breach of any such condition thus released and waived. 
Such writing slHHl may not in any way affect or impair like conditions in respect to other 
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deeds of lots shown on such plans and not included in such release and waiver, and such 
writing slHHl may not in any way affect or impair other conditions contained in deeds of 
the parcels referred to in such release and waiver. 
Sec. A-l3. 33 MRSA §659 is amended to read: 
§659. Duplicates of plans in court files 
Whenever in the settlement of any disputed line or in the division of any estate any 
plans are made for filing in the office of the c1er.k of courts or tHe register of probate, 
duplicate plans slHHl must in all cases be filed in the registry of deeds office of the 
Secretary of State. 
Sec. A-14. 33 MRSA §660, as amended by PL 2003, c. 55, §6, is further amended 
to read: 
§660. Plans of townships; copies; filing and indexing 
The county commissioners shall, at the expense of their respective counties, procure 
such plans of the townships in their counties as may be in existence. If the original plans 
are not in existence or can not be had at a reasonable price, they shall procure copies of 
the most authentic plans known to exist. All copies must be on the best quality of linen 
paper backed with cloth or polyester film with archival photographic image. Suitable 
filing cases must be provided in eaeh registry of deeds the office of the Secretary of State 
for the reception and preservation of the plans and a suitable index of the plans must be 
made, having at least both alphabetical and chronological arrangement, and must be 
revised whenever new plans for recording are received. 
Sec. A-1S. 33 MRSA §661 is amended to read: 
§661. Plans deemed of interest to county 
The county commissioners may at their discretion procure such plans, other than 
township plans, of properties within their counties, either originals or copies, as they 
deem for the interest of their counties to have preserved on the files of the registry of 
aee4s office of the Secretary of State. This section sftaI.l may not be construed to allow 
the purchase of any plan wffieR that the proprietor of any estate is required by law to file 
with the register of deeds office of the Secretary of State. 
Sec. A-16. 33 MRSA §662, as amended by PL 2003, c. 55, §7, is further amended 
to read: 
§662. Plans showing allotment of lands in cities and towns 
The municipal officers of a city or town may, and upon the written request of 3 or 
more taxpayers of the city or town shall, cause any plans in the possession of the city or 
town or otherwise available, showing the allotment of lands in the city or town, to be 
recorded in the registry of deeds iA the eOlmty or registT)' distriet iA whieh aA)' sueh city 
or town is situated office of the Secretary of State. The plans must be recorded and kept 
in accordance with the provisions of section 652. 
Sec. A-17. 33 MRSA §663 is amended to read: 
§663. 
Copies of transfers of lands in unorganized territory sent to State Tax 
Assessor 
In each county containing lands in unorganized territory, so called, the register of 
aee4s office of the Secretary of State shall transmit to the State Tax Assessor certified 
copies of the record of all transfers of lands in unorganized territory made after the 20th 
day of March, 1907, within 10 days after such record is made. Such copies sftaI.l must be 
placed on file and retained for future reference by the State Tax Assessor. 
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Sec. A-18. 33 MRS A §665, as amended by PL 1981, c. 279, §§23 and 23-A, is 
further amended to read: 
§665. Farm owner may name lands for filing and recording 
The owner of any farm lands may designate a specific name for such lands and the 
said name together with a description of said farm lands according to the latest authentic 
survey thereof may be filed with the register of deeds of the county wherein the said lands 
or a part thereof are situated office of the Secretary of State. The name together with the 
description of the lands sfla.ll must be recorded by the register of deeds office of the 
Secretary of State under section 651. The register of deeds office of the Secretary of State 
shall be paid the fee set in section 751. No 2 names so designated and recorded may be 
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alike in the same county. 
Sec. A-19. 33 MRSA §666 is amended to read: 
§666. Transfer of named farm lands 
Whenever any owner of farm lands, the name of which has been recorded as provided 
in section 665, transfers by deed or otherwise the whole of such farm lands, such transfer 
may include the registered name thereof. If the owner shall transfer transfers only a 
portion of such farm lands, then the registered name thereof sfla.ll ~ not be transferred to 
the purchaser, unless so stated in the deed of conveyance. 
Sec. A-ZO. 33 MRSA §669, as enacted by PL 1971, c. 68, is amended to read: 
§669. Copies of bankruptcy orders and decrees 
At any time after a petition in bankruptcy is filed, or a decree of adjudication or an 
order approving the trustee's bond is made, pursuant to the Federal Bankruptcy Act of 
1898, as amended, the bankrupt, trustee, receiver, custodian, referee or any creditor may 
record a certified copy of such petition, with the schedules omitted, or of such decree or 
order in the registry of deeds for any county or district wherein the bankrupt o'""ns or has 
an interest in any land office of the Secretary of State. 
Sec. A-21. 33 MRSA §670, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 179, is amended to read: 
§670. Facsimile signature 
A facsimile of the signature of the register or deputy register of deeds Secretary of 
State imprinted at hi5 the Secretary of State's direction upon any deed or other instrument 
that is customarily recorded at the registry of deeds office of the Secretary of State, 
including plans and the like, shall have has the same validity as hi5 the Secretary of 
State's signature. 
Sec. A-22. 33 MRSA c. 11, sub-c. 3, as amended, is repealed. 
Sec. A-23. 33 MRSA §751, first ~, as amended by PL 1993, c. 560, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
Pu;gc 6 - 123LR0709(Ol)-1 
Except as provided in any other provision oflaw, registers of deeds shall the office of 
the Secretary of State is entitled to receive the following fees for: 
Sec. A-24. 33 MRS A §751, sub-§15, as repealed and replaced by PL 1971, c. 
321, is amended to read: 
15. When payable. Fees provided by this section shall must be paid when the 
instrument is offered for record, except that fees payable by the State shall be paid 
monthly by the department or agencies requesting the recording, upon rendition of bills 
by the register of deeds office of the Secretary of State. Said bills shall must be paid 
within 10 days of receipt of same by the department or agencies. 
Sec. A-25. 33 MRSA §752, as amended by PL 2005, c. 584, §§ 1 and 2, is further 
amended to read: 
§752. Records preservation surcharge 
1. Surcharge. In addition to any other fees required by law, a register of deeds the 
office of the Secretary of State may collect a surcharge of $3 per document for all records 
that are recorded in the registry of deeds office of the Secretary of State, except those 
recorded by agencies of State Government and municipalities. 
2. Account. The surcharge imposed in subsection 1 must be transferred to the 
cOl:1n!)' treasl:1rer who shall deposit it deposited in a separate non lapsing account within 30 
days of receipt. Money in the account is not a¥ailable for I:1se as a general revenl:le of the 
cOl:1n!)'. Interest earned on the account ml:lst be credited to the accol:lnt. 
3. Expenditures from account. The money in the account established in subsection 
must be used for the restoration, re-creation and preservation of the records recorded in 
the office of the register of deeds Secretary of State, including preservation by creation of 
a digital image stored on magnetic or optical media. The money may not be used for 
initial recording of documents. 
5. Annual report. The register of deeds for each cOl:1n!)' office of the Secretary of 
State shall report annually to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over state and local government matters on the amount of surcharge funds 
raised and expended and the use of those funds. 
The registers of deeds may jointl)' 
prepare and sl:1bmit the report reEfuired I:Inder this sl:lbsection, as long as the reql:lired 
infoffAation is separately described for each COtIR!)'. 
~. MisappFopriation of funds; penalty. Any cOl:ln1)' that uses fl:lAds from the 
records preservation sl:lrcharge account established in sl:lbsection 2 for any purpose that is 
not in accordance vlith the standards established in sl:1bsection 3 commits a ciyil violation 
for which a fine of $100 per day from the date of the 't't'ithdrawal to the date the money is 
restored to the accol:lnt must be adjudged. fines must be paid Ol:lt of the cOl:ln!)' budget 
and be deposited in the accol:1nt established in sl:lbsection 2. 
Sec. A-26. Effective date. This Part takes effect January 1,2009. 
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PARTB 
Sec. B-1. lS-A MRSA §1-S01, as amended by PL 1995, c. 683, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. B-2. lS-A MRSA §1-S02, as amended by PL 1981, c. 40, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. B-3. lS-A MRSA §1-S03, as amended by PL 1993, c. 148, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
§ 1-503. Duties; records; binding of papers 
Registers of probate have the care and custody of all files, papers and books 
belonging to the probate office and The office of the clerk of courts shall duly record all 
wills probated formally or informally, letters of authority of a personal representative, 
guardianship or conservatorship issued, bonds approved, accounts filed or allowed, all 
informal applications and findings, all petitions, decrees, orders or judgments of the 
judge, including all petitions, decrees or orders relating to adoptions and changes of 
names and other matters, as the judge directs. RegistcE; of probate The office of the clerk 
gf cour~ shall keep a docket of all probate cases and, under the appropriate heading of 
each case, make entries of each motion, order, decree and proceeding so that at all times 
the docket shows the exact condition of each case. AHy-regfstef The office of the ct<;rk of 
courts may act as an auditor of accounts when requested to do so by the judge and the 
judge's decision is final unless appeal is taken in the same manner as other probate 
appeals. The records may be attested by the volume and it is deemed to be a sufficient 
attestation of those records when each volume bears the attest with the written signature 
of the register or other person authorized by law to attest those records. The registers of 
probate office of the clerk of courts may bind in volumes of convenient size original 
inventories and accounts filed in their re:spective offices and, when bound and indexed, 
those inventories and accounts are deemed to be recorded in all cases when the law 
requires a record to be made and no fWiher record is required. 
A facsimile of the signature of the register of probate or deputy register of probate 
imprinted at his direction upon any instrument, Gertification or copy vihich is customarily 
Gertified by him or reGorded in the probate office, shall have the same validity as his 
signature. 
Sec. B-4. lS-A MRSA §1-S04, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 540, § 1, is amended to 
read: 
§1-504. Certification of wills, appointments of personal representatives and elective 
share petitions involving real estate 
Within 30 days after a will has been proved or allowed, or an appointment of a 
personal representative has been made upon an assumption of intestate status and where 
the petition for the appointment indicates that the deceased owned real estate, or a 
petition for an elective share has been filed where the will or the petition upon which 
appointment of a personal representative has been granted indicates that the deceased 
owned real estate, the register office of the clerk of courts shall make out and certifY to 
the register of deeds in the county where any affected real estate is situated office of the 
Secretary of State (l) a true copy of so much of the will as devises real estate, (2) an 
abstract of the appointment of the personal representative, or (3) a true copy or abstract of 
the petition for an elective share, as the case may be. Each certification sfl.a.l.l must include 
a description of the real estate, so far as it can be furnished from the probated will or the 
petition upon which the appointment was made, and the name of the decedent and of the 
devisees or heirs. In the case of a will, the certification sfl.a.l.l must also set forth the date of 
the allowance of the will and designate whether it was probated formally or informally. In 
the case of the formal probate ofa will that was previously informally probated, and of an 
informally probated will that was subsequently denied probate in formal proceedings, the 
register of probate office of the clerk of courts shall certify such formal probate or formal 
denial of probate to the register of deeds office of the Secretary of State to which the prior 
informally probated will was certified, setting forth the date of the formal probate or 
denial. The register of deeds office of the Secretary of ,Stste receiving such copy or 
certification shall forthwith file the same, minuting thereon the time of the reception 
thereof, and record it in the same manner as a deed of real estate. 
Sec. B-5. 18-A MRSA §1-505, as amended by PL 2003, c. 14, §l, is further 
amended to read: 
§1-505. Notice to beneficiaries; furnishing of copies 
Registers of probate The office of the clerk of courts shall, within 30 days after any 
will is probated, notify by mail all beneficiaries under that will that devises have been 
made to them, stating the name of the testator and the name of the personal 
representative, if one has been appointed at the time this notification is sent. 
Beneficiaries in a will must, upon application to the register of probate office of the clerk 
of courts, be furnished with a copy of the probated will upon payment of a fee of $1 per 
page. 
Sec. B-6. 18-A MRS A §1-506, as amended by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §§34 and 
and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is repealed. 
Sec. B-7. 18-A MRSA §1-507, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 540, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. B-8. 18-A MRSA §1-508, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 540, § 1, is repealed. 
Sec. B-9. 18-A MRSA §1-509, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 540, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. B-I0. 18-A MRSA §1-510, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. 
J, § 1 and affected by Pt. X, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. B-l1. 18-A MRSA §1-511, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 540, § 1, is amended to 
read: 
§1-511. Fees for approved blanks and forms 
For all approved blanks, forms or schedule paper required in probate court 
proceedings, the register office of the clerk of courts shall charge fees 'Nhich shall be set 
by the register and appro't'ed by the county commissioners, so as not to incur a loss to the 
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COI:JAt)' for sl:Jch services office of the clerk of courts. Sl:Jch fees shall be payable by the 
register to the COI:JAt)' treasl:Jrer for the I:Jse aAd beAefit of the COI:JAt)'. 
Sec. B-12. Effective date. This Part takes effect January 1,2009. 
PARTe 
Sec. C-l. Implementing legislation; register of deeds functions. The Joint 
Standing Committee on State and Local Government shall review those parts of the 
Maine Revised Statutes governing registers of deeds, including but not limited to Titles 
11, 30-A and 33. The purpose of the review is to develop legislation to implement the 
transfer of the registry of deeds functions from the county to the Secretary of State and to 
correct any errors and inconsistencies in law that result from this Act. In developing the 
proposed legislation, the committee shall invite the advice and counsel of the Secretary of 
State and designees selected by the Secretary of State. By November 30, 2007, the 
Secretary of State shall submit the legislation developed pursuant to this section to the 
Sec. C-2. Implementing legislation; register of probate functions. The 
Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government shall review those parts of the 
Maine Revised Statutes governing registers of probate, including but not limited to Titles 
4, 18-A and 30-A. The purpose of the review is to develop legislation to implement the 
transfer of the register of probate functions from the county to the office of the clerk of 
courts and to correct any errors and inconsistencies in law that result from this Act. In 
developing the proposed legislation, the committee shall invite the advice and counsel of 
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court and designees selected by the Chief 
Justice. By November 30, 2007, the committee shall submit the legislation developed 
pursuant to this section to the Second Regular Session of the I23rd Legislature. 
SUMMARY 
The purpose of this bill is to transfer the functions of the county register of deeds 
offices to the Secretary of State, and to transfer the functions of the county registers of 
probate to the office of the clerk of courts as a first step toward greater regionalization of 
servIces . 
PART A 
This Part amends the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33, chapter 11, which governs 
registers of deeds, to transfer the functions of the registers of deeds to the office of the 
Secretary of State. 
PARTB 
This Part amends Title 18-A, Article 1, Part 5, which governs registers of probate, to 
transfer the functions of the registers of probate to the office of the clerk of courts. 
Pagt: 10 . 123LRU71.l9(Ql)-! 
PARTe 
This Part directs the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government, with 
the advice and counsel of the Secretary of State, to develop legislation to implement the 
transfer of the register of deeds functions from the county to the office of the Secretary of 
State. This Part 
also directs the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local 
Government, with the advice and counsel of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial 
Court, to develop legislation to implement the transfer of the register of probate functions 
from the county to the office of clerk of courts. 
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