An Act Regarding Document Fees at County Registries of Deeds
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1554
Committee: State and Local GovernlTIent
Sponsors: BERRY, BLANCHARD, BLODGETT, BRIGGS, CLARK, CONNOR, GILBERT, GOODE, JONES, MILLER, SCHATZ, STUCKEY, TREAT, GOODALL, GOOLEY, SMITH
Amends: 33 MRSA §651, 33 MRSA §751

Legislative Document 
No. 1554 
H.P. 1096 
House of Representatives, December 21,2009 
An Act Regarding Document Fees at County Registries of Deeds 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 17,2009. Referred to the Committee on 
State and Local GovernlTIent pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401. 
Presented by Representati ve CROCKETT of Augusta. 
'77/d~ /J1. 77!tI£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, BLANCHARD of Old Town, 
BLODGETT of Augusta, BRIGGS of Mexico, CAIN 6fOrono, CLARK of Millinocket, 
CONNOR of Kennebunk, GILBERT of Jay, GOODE of Bangor, JONES of Mount Vernon, 
McCABE of Skowhegan, MILLER of Somerville, SCHATZ of Blue Hill, STUCKEY of 
Portland, TREAT of Hallowell, Senators: GOODALL of Sagadahoc, GOOLEY of Franklin, 
McCORMICK of Kennebec, SMITH of Piscataquis. 
Prinlcd t,lIi n:cydt!d pnpL'r 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 33 MRSA §651, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 55, § 1, IS 
amended to read: 
§651. Records; index 
The records and indexes in each registry office 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 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 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 deeds 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 shall prepare, or have prepared, a microfilm record of each page of every 
instrument, plan or other document recorded in the registry office. The microfilm record 
made must be stored in a fireproof area. 
When original record books or plans are 
considered by the register to be in a condition that warrants withdrawal from regular use, 
the register 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'ofthe 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. 
Copies of records in any medium obtained pursuant to this section that are then sold 
or distributed to 3rd parties must be marked on each page with substantially the words 
"Not an official copy. 
Source documents may be obtained at the (name of county) 
County Registry of Deeds." 
Title 1, chapter 13 does not apply to public inspection and fees for copying records 
maintained under this chapter. 
Sec. 2. 33 MRSA §751, sUlIb-§l, as amended by PL 2005, c. 246, §I, is further 
amended to read: 
1. Instruments generally. Receiving, recording and indexing any instrument that 
may be recorded and for which a specific fee is not set forth in this section or in any other 
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section, the sum of $13 for the first record page and ~ 
~ for each additional record page 
or portion of an additional record page. In addition, if more than 4 names are to be 
indexed, a fee of $1 must be paid for each additional name, counting all grantors and 
grantees; 
Sec. 3. 33 MRSA §751, sub..;,§14, as amended by PL 1991, c. 497, §8, is further 
amended to read: 
14. 
Abstracts and copies. 
Making abstracts and copies from the records, a 
reasonable fee as determined by the county commissioners, which may include, but is not 
limited to, the cost of depleted supplies; records storage media costs; actual mailing and 
alternative delivery costs or other transmitting costs; amortized infrastructure costs; any 
direct equipment operating and maintenance costs; costs associated with media 
processing time; personnel costs, including actual costs paid to private contractors for 
copying services; and a reasonable rate for the time a computer server is dedicated to 
fulfilling the request; and 
SUMMARY 
This bill increases the filing fee that county registers of deeds may charge for the 
second and subsequent pages of documents from $2 to $4 and clarifies the "reasonable 
fee" that may be charged for obtaining abstracts and copies of records. The bill also 
requires persons who obtain records from registers of deeds and subsequently sell or 
distribute those records to indicate on the records that they are not official copies.