An Act To Change Document Filing Fees for County Registries of Deeds
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0559
Committee Amendment CA_A_H445 (House)
Amends: 33 MRSA §751, 33 MRSA §753

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "Pc " to H.P. 378, L.D. 559, Bill, "An Act To 
Change Document Filing Fees for County Registries of Deeds" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Cbange Document Filing and Copying Fees for County Registries of 
Deeds' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 33 MRS A §751, sub-§14-B, as amended by PL 2011, c. 508, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
14-B. Paper copies. Making abstraots and ~ 
copies of records at the office of 
the register of deeds as follow5: 
A. Five dollars per page for paper abstracts and copies of plans; and 
B. One dollar per page for other paper abstracts and copies; and 
C. Fifty ceats per page B3r digital abstracts and copies, eKcept that the fee is 5 ¢ per 
page for copies of 1.000 or more di2"ital abstracts and cOBies of consecHtive reeords: 
and 
Sec. 4. 33 MRSA §751, sub-§14-D is enacted to read: 
14-D. Downloads of 1,000 or more consecutive electronic images or electronic 
abstracts from a county registry of deeds. Acquiring downloads of 1,000 or more 
consecutive electronic image5 or electronic abstracts from a county registry of deeds 
equipped to provide downloads of images or electronic abstracts, 5¢ per image or 
electronic abstract; 
Sec. 5. 33 MRSA §751, sub-§14-E is enacted to read: 
14-E. Electronic images, printed images or electronic abstracts from a county 
registry of deeds website. Acquiring electronic images, printed images or electronic 
abstracts from a county registlY of deeds website as follows: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~o~~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 378, L.D. 559 
A. No charge for the first 500 images or electronic abstracts, or a combination of the 
first 500 images and electronic abstracts, acquired by a person in a calendar year; and 
B. 
Fifty cents per image or electronic abstract for each subsequent image or 
electronic abstract after 500 acquired in the same calendar year; and 
Sec. 6. 33 MRSA §753 is enacted to read: 
§753. Definitions 
As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following 
terms have the following meanings. 
1. Electronic abstract. "Electronic abstract" means the digital indexing information 
for a document. 
2. Image. "Image" means a digital capture of an individual page of a document or 
plan filed in a county registry of deeds. 
3. Person. "Person" means a person, corporation, partnership or other entity.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment separates paper copies from electronic abstracts and images for the 
purpose of fees assessed by county registries of deeds and further breaks down electronic 
copies into those downloaded at the office of a county registry of deeds and those 
downloaded from a county registry of deeds website. In current law, the cost for digital 
abstracts and images is 50¢ per page, with a fee of 5¢ per page for copies of 1,000 or 
more digital abstracts and copies of consecutive records. The amendment provides for a 
fee of 5¢ per image or electronic abstract for acquiring downloads of 1,000 or more 
consecutive electronic images or electronic abstracts from a county registry of deeds 
equipped to provide downloads. It also provides for no charge per image from a county 
registry of deeds website for the first 500 images or electronic abstracts, or a combination 
of the first 500 images and electronic abstracts, acquired by a person in a calendar year 
and 50¢ per image or electronic abstract for each subsequent image or electronic abstract 
acquired in the same calendar year. The amendment also removes the option for county 
commissioners to raise filing fees as provided in the bill and adds a definitions section. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT