An Act to Automatically Seal Criminal History Record Information
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1911
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: TALBOT ROSS, BOYER
Amends: 4 MRSA §17

Legislative Document
No. 1911
S.P. 752
In Senate, May 6, 2025
An Act to Automatically Seal Criminal History Record Information 
for Certain Crimes
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative BOYER of Poland and
Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot, Representatives: LEE of Auburn, PUGH of Portland, SATO 
of Gorham, SINCLAIR of Bath.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  4 MRSA §17, sub-§17, ¶C, as amended by PL 2021, c. 684, §2, is further 
amended to read:
C.  The statement on proposed legislation prepared by the State Court Administrator 
must be considered in the preparation of the fiscal note included in a committee 
amendment or other amendment if the legislation or amendment has a fiscal impact on 
the judicial system, as determined by the State Court Administrator; and
Sec. 2.  4 MRSA §17, sub-§18, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 684, §3, is amended 
by amending subparagraph (8) to read:
(8)  Provide a mechanism for the retention of all information submitted to or 
communicated by or within the system.; and
Sec. 3.  4 MRSA §17, sub-§19 is enacted to read:
19.  Review for automatic sealing of criminal history record information.  Establish 
and maintain a process by which the Administrative Office of the Courts must perform its 
obligations to assist with the automatic sealing of criminal history record information for 
eligible criminal convictions as provided under Title 15, section 2403.
Sec. 4.  15 MRSA c. 313 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 313
AUTOMATIC SEALING OF CERTAIN CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD 
INFORMATION
§2401.  Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Bureau.  "Bureau" means the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police, 
State Bureau of Identification.
2.  Criminal history record information.  "Criminal history record information" has 
the same meaning as in Title 16, section 703, subsection 3.
3.  Criminal justice agency.  "Criminal justice agency" has the same meaning as in 
Title 16, section 703, subsection 4.
4.  Dissemination.  "Dissemination" has the same meaning as in Title 16, section 703, 
subsection 6.
5.  Eligible criminal conviction.  "Eligible criminal conviction" means:
A. A conviction for a current or former Class E crime, except a conviction for a current 
or former Class E crime under Title 17-A, chapter 11; 
B. A conviction for a current or former Class D crime, except: 
(1) A conviction for a current or former Class D crime under Title 17-A, chapter 
or 12; 
(2) A conviction for violation of condition of release under section 1092, 
committed while the defendant was on preconviction or post-conviction bail for a 
crime under Title 17-A, chapter 11 or 12; 
(3) A conviction for a current or former Class D crime under Title 17-A, section 
852, 853 or 855; 
(4) A conviction for assault under Title 17-A, section 207 if the defendant was or 
could have been charged with a crime under Title 17-A, chapter 11 or 12 arising 
out of the same course of conduct; 
(5) A conviction for stalking under Title 17-A, section 210-A or domestic violence 
stalking under Title 17-A, section 210-C; 
(6) Unless a sentence has been commuted, a conviction involving a crime of 
domestic violence or a crime involving domestic violence, as defined in section 
1003, subsection 3-A; 
(7) A violation of a protective order, as specified in section 321, subsection 6; Title 
5, section 4659, subsection 1; Title 17-A, section 506-B; Title 19-A, former section 
4011, subsection 3; Title 19-A, former section 4012, subsection 5; or Title 19-A, 
section 4113, subsection 1; 
(8) A conviction for cruelty to animals under Title 17, section 1031; 
(9) A conviction for a crime against a family or household member, as defined in 
Title 19-A, former section 4002, subsection 4, regardless of whether the 
relationship was an element of that crime, if less than 20 years have passed since 
the judgment of conviction was entered; or
(10) A conviction for the crime of violation of a condition of release, pursuant to 
section 1092, committed while the defendant is released on preconviction or post-
conviction bail for a charge that involves a crime against a family or household 
member, as defined in Title 19-A, former section 4002, subsection 4, regardless of 
whether the relationship was an element of that crime, if less than 20 years have 
passed since the judgment of conviction was entered; 
C. Unlawful possession of scheduled drugs under Title 17-A, section 1107-A or Title 
17-A, former section 1107; 
D. A conviction for any other crime under Title 17-A, chapter 45 not otherwise 
specified in paragraph C, except for a conviction for a Class A crime under section 
1105-A or a conviction for a crime that involved the use of a firearm; and
E. A conviction for a crime committed prior to January 30, 2017 for: 
(1) Aggravated trafficking, furnishing or cultivation of scheduled drugs under Title 
17-A, former section 1105 when the person was convicted of cultivating scheduled 
drugs, that scheduled drug was marijuana and the underlying crime was a Class D 
or Class E crime; 
(2) Aggravated cultivating of marijuana under Title 17-A, section 1105-D, 
subsection 1, paragraph A, subparagraph (4); 
(3) Aggravated cultivating of marijuana under Title 17-A, section 1105-D, 
subsection 1, paragraph B-1, subparagraph (4); 
(4) Aggravated cultivating of marijuana under Title 17-A, section 1105-D, 
subsection 1, paragraph C, subparagraph (4); or 
(5) Aggravated cultivating of marijuana under Title 17-A, section 1105-D, 
subsection 1, paragraph D, subparagraph (4). 
§2402.  Prerequisites for automatic sealing of criminal history record information
Criminal history record information relating to one or more specific criminal 
convictions may be sealed under this chapter only if: 
1.  Eligible criminal conviction.  The criminal conviction is: 
A. An eligible criminal conviction that is a Class D or Class E crime and 5 years have 
passed since the date of conviction; or 
B. An eligible criminal conviction that is a Class A, Class B or Class C crime and 10 
years have passed since the date of conviction, and the person who is the subject of the 
criminal history record information has completed the person's sentence, including any 
period of supervised release; 
2.  Other convictions in this State.  Since the time at which the person who is the 
subject of the criminal history record information fully satisfied each of the sentencing 
alternatives imposed under Title 17-A, section 1502, subsection 2 for the person's most 
recent eligible criminal conviction up until the time the bureau submits the criminal history 
record information related to that eligible criminal conviction to the Administrative Office 
of the Courts under section 2403, subsection 2, the person has not been convicted of a crime 
in this State and has not had a criminal charge dismissed as a result of a deferred disposition 
pursuant to Title 17-A, former chapter 54-F or Title 17-A, chapter 67, subchapter 4; and 
3.  Pending criminal charges.  The person who is the subject of the criminal history 
record information does not have any pending criminal charges in this State. 
§2403.  Automatic sealing of criminal history record information
Criminal history record information for an eligible criminal conviction must be sealed 
in accordance with this section if the eligible criminal conviction and the conduct of the 
person who is the subject of the criminal history record information satisfy the requirements 
of section 2402. 
1.  Monthly examination of records.  Beginning January 1, 2027, the Administrative 
Office of the Courts shall examine electronic case records at least once per month and 
compile a list of criminal history record information that meets the requirements of section 
2402. 
2.  Sealing orders.  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall forward the list 
compiled under subsection 1 to the court with jurisdiction over the underlying criminal 
proceedings.  The courts within that judicial district shall promptly issue sealing orders 
based on the received list. 
3.  Notice to bureau.  Upon issuing a sealing order under subsection 2, the court shall 
electronically transmit notice of the order to the bureau.  Within 14 days of receipt, the 
bureau shall update its records to reflect that the criminal history record information related 
to the eligible criminal conviction is sealed and that its dissemination is governed by section 
2265. 
4.  Cooperation.  The Administrative Office of the Courts; Department of Public 
Safety, Bureau of State Police; Department of Corrections; judicial branch; and criminal 
justice agencies that collect, maintain or disseminate criminal history record information 
shall cooperate with the bureau and assist it with carrying out the purposes and duties of 
this section. 
§2404.  Limited disclosure of sealed eligible criminal conviction
A person whose eligible criminal conviction is the subject of a sealing order under 
section 2403 may respond to inquiries from persons other than criminal justice agencies 
and other entities that are authorized to obtain the sealed criminal history record 
information under section 2265 by not disclosing the existence of the eligible criminal 
conviction without being subject to any sanctions under the laws of this State.  Other than 
when responding to criminal justice agencies or when under oath while being prosecuted 
for a subsequent crime, a person whose eligible criminal conviction is the subject of a 
sealing order does not violate Title 17-A, section 451, 452 or 453 by failing to disclose the 
eligible criminal conviction. 
§2405.  Motion to seal criminal history record information
This chapter may not be construed to prevent a person from filing a written motion 
seeking a court order to seal the person's criminal history record information relating to a 
specific criminal conviction in accordance with section 2263.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a system for automatically sealing criminal history record 
information associated with criminal convictions for certain crimes, provided that certain 
conditions are met.  Automatic sealing refers to the process established by the bill by which 
criminal history record information related to qualifying convictions must be sealed and 
the dissemination of that information limited consistent with the requirements of the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 15, section 2265, without the need to file a petition to seal the 
information.  Under the bill, the Administrative Office of the Courts must routinely 
examine electronic case records and compile a list of criminal history record information 
that qualifies for automatic sealing under this legislation and provide that list to the 
appropriate courts to issue a sealing order. 
The bill provides a list of criminal convictions for which automatic sealing may be 
available.  The underlying crimes include all Class E crimes except for sexual offenses; all 
Class D crimes except for certain crimes, such as certain violent crimes or certain offenses 
against a family member; certain Class D or Class E drug crimes committed prior to 
January 30, 2017; and other specified drug crimes. 
The bill provides that for an eligible criminal conviction to be automatically sealed, 5 
years must have passed since the date of conviction for a Class D or Class E crime.  For a 
Class A, Class B or Class C crime, 10 years must have passed since the date of conviction 
and the person who is the subject of the criminal history record information must have 
completed the person's sentence, including any period of supervised release.  The criminal 
history record information is not eligible for sealing if the person who is the subject of the 
criminal history record information has been convicted of any other crimes in the time 
elapsed since the person satisfied the sentencing requirements of the eligible criminal 
conviction.