| Superior Court Clerk | Hancock County Superior Court — Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Register of Probate | Hancock County Registry of Probate |
| Clerk address | Superior Court & Ellsworth District Court: 50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, ME 04605. Registry of Probate: 50 State Street, Suite 6, Ellsworth, ME 04605 |
| Phone | Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court (207) 667-7141; Registry of Probate (207) 667-8434 |
| Hours | Superior Court and District Court: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., except court holidays, administrative weeks, and storm closings. Registry of Probate: hours not published on the county page; call (207) 667-8434. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $2.00 for the first page, $1.00 for each additional page (Superior and District Court) |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 attestation fee per document, in addition to the copy fee (Superior and District Court) |
Hancock County, home to Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island, keeps all of its trial-court records in one building: the county courthouse at 50 State Street in Ellsworth. The Hancock County Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court share Suite 2, a single clerk, and a single phone number, so whether the case is a felony, a divorce, a misdemeanor, or a small-claims dispute, the same office answers. The Hancock County Registry of Probate, an elected county office rather than a Judicial Branch court, is down the hall in Suite 6 with its own phone line.
Hancock County is part of eCourts Region 7 with Washington County, and its courts converted to electronic filing and the free public re:SearchMaine portal on July 27, 2026 for all case types. The Registry of Actions for criminal, civil, family, juvenile, and civil-violation cases filed since then can be viewed online after a free registration; eFiling is now mandatory for attorneys, government agencies, and anyone filing more than six cases a year. Because the conversion is recent, most of the county's case history is still on paper at the courthouse and will not show up in an online search.
Probate — wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and name changes — is entirely separate from re:SearchMaine. The Registry of Probate links to the statewide maineprobate.net docket index and publishes its own annual fee schedule for copies and certifications.
Search Hancock County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Hancock County Superior Court — Clerk's Office
- Cost
- Free to search on re:SearchMaine after registration; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Felony criminal, civil, and family cases filed in Hancock County Superior Court; searchable on re:SearchMaine for cases filed since July 27, 2026
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, ME 04605; (207) 667-7141. The Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court share one clerk's office.
Register of Probate
Hancock County Registry of Probate
- Cost
- Free to search the docket at maineprobate.net; copy and certification fees per the county's published Probate Fee Schedule
- Coverage
- Wills, estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, adoption, and name-change records for Hancock County
- Records
- Probate
A county office headed by an elected Register of Probate, in Suite 6 of the 50 State Street courthouse, separate from the Judicial Branch courts. Phone (207) 667-8434. The office links to maineprobate.net for docket searches and posts a yearly Probate Fee Schedule PDF; office hours are not listed on the page, so call before visiting.
Other courts
Ellsworth District Court
- Cost
- Free to search on re:SearchMaine after registration; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor criminal cases, small claims, protection orders, Family Division matters, and traffic infractions for all of Hancock County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, ME 04605; (207) 667-7141 — the same office as the Superior Court. eFiling available since July 27, 2026.
What is available online
Hancock County (eCourts Region 7) went live on Maine eCourts on July 27, 2026 for all case types. The Registry of Actions for criminal, civil, family, juvenile, and civil-violation cases filed in the Superior Court or Ellsworth District Court since that date is searchable for free on re:SearchMaine after registration. Because the conversion happened only weeks before this guide was written, nearly all older and closed cases remain paper files at the courthouse and will not appear online. Filed documents beyond the docket listing generally must be viewed at a courthouse public terminal. Probate dockets are indexed separately at maineprobate.net, which the Registry of Probate links to from its page; probate is never part of re:SearchMaine.
Which clerk has your record
In Maine, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Maine page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court (one per county, 17 sittings across 16 counties) | Felony criminal cases; Civil actions of any dollar amount; Divorce, custody, and other family matters | Clerk of the Superior Court for the county |
| District Court (44 locations statewide) | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Small claims and civil actions up to the statutory limit; Family Division matters (divorce, parental rights, protection from abuse) | Clerk of the District Court |
| Probate Court (one per county) | Wills and estate administration; Guardianship and conservatorship of adults and minors; Adoption, name changes, and termination of parental rights tied to adoption | Register of Probate for the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Hancock County clerk offices
Superior Court & Ellsworth District Court: 50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, ME 04605. Registry of Probate: 50 State Street, Suite 6, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Phone: Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court (207) 667-7141; Registry of Probate (207) 667-8434
Hours: Superior Court and District Court: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., except court holidays, administrative weeks, and storm closings. Registry of Probate: hours not published on the county page; call (207) 667-8434.
Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court records. Register for a free re:SearchMaine account to look up the Registry of Actions for cases filed since July 27, 2026. For anything older, or for copies of filed documents, contact the shared clerk's office at 50 State Street, Suite 2, Ellsworth, (207) 667-7141. Mail requests for copies go to the Judicial Branch Service Center, P.O. Box 266, Lewiston, ME 04240 (207-753-2901); include the case number or party names and year, the documents needed, whether you want an attested (certified) copy, and payment under the statewide fee schedule ($2 first page, $1 each additional page, plus $5 to attest a document and $5 postage if no self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed).
Probate records. Search the docket first at maineprobate.net, then contact the Hancock County Registry of Probate at 50 State Street, Suite 6, Ellsworth, (207) 667-8434, for copies. The Registry sets its own fees and posts a current Probate Fee Schedule on its web page; confirm the amount before sending payment. Adoption records are confidential.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Maine |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $2.00 for the first page, $1.00 for each additional page (Superior and District Court) |
| Certified copy | $5.00 attestation fee per document, in addition to the copy fee (Superior and District Court) |
Set statewide by Supreme Judicial Court Administrative Order JB-05-26 (effective March 9, 2026) for Superior and District Court records. Probate Courts are exempt from that statewide fee schedule and set their own copy and certification fees; confirm the current amount with the specific county's Register of Probate before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Maine court records are generally open, but the Judicial Branch's Rules of Electronic Court Systems (MRECS) and Administrative Order JB-20-03 (Public Access and Confidentiality) draw a distinction between "public court information," "confidential" information restricted to parties or courthouse viewing, and records that are fully sealed or impounded by statute, rule, or court order. Maine's Freedom of Access Act does not apply to the judiciary — court records are governed by these Judicial Branch rules, not a public-records request.
The Maine guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one clerk's office for all Hancock County court cases?
For Judicial Branch cases, yes: the Hancock County Superior Court and Ellsworth District Court share Suite 2 at 50 State Street and one phone number, (207) 667-7141. Probate cases are handled by the separate Registry of Probate in Suite 6.
Can I search Hancock County court cases online?
Yes for cases filed since July 27, 2026, when Hancock County (eCourts Region 7) went live on Maine eCourts. Register for free at re:SearchMaine to view the Registry of Actions. Because the conversion is so recent, most earlier cases are still paper-only.
How much does a copy of a Hancock County probate record cost?
The Registry of Probate publishes its own annual Probate Fee Schedule on its web page and sets fees independently of the statewide court fee schedule. Check the current schedule or call (207) 667-8434 before mailing payment.
Where are Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island court cases heard?
In Ellsworth. Hancock County has no other courthouse: felonies and larger civil and family matters go to the Superior Court and misdemeanors, small claims, and protection orders to Ellsworth District Court, both at 50 State Street.
Sources
- Hancock County Superior Court — https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/superior/hancock-sc.html
- Ellsworth District Court — https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/district/ellsworth-dc.html
- Hancock County Registry of Probate — https://hancockcountymaine.gov/registry-of-probate/
- Hancock County official website — https://hancockcountymaine.gov/
- Maine eCourts rollout schedule — https://www.courts.maine.gov/ecourts/
- Maine Judicial Branch — Courts overview — https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/index.html
- Accessing Electronic Court Records (re:SearchMaine) — https://www.courts.maine.gov/ecourts/access.html
- re:SearchMaine public search — https://researchmaine.tylerhost.net/CourtRecordsSearch
- Maine State Police State Bureau of Identification — https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/about/sbi
- Maine Criminal History Record Request — https://apps1.web.maine.gov/online/pcr/
- Supreme Judicial Court Published Opinions — https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/sjc/opinions.html
- Court Records — how to get copies — https://www.courts.maine.gov/help/records.html
- Maine Judicial Branch — eCourts implementation schedule (news release) — https://www.courts.maine.gov/news/article.html?id=13350582
- Administrative Order JB-05-26 — Court Fees Schedule — https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-05-26.pdf
- Administrative Order JB-20-03 — Public Access and Confidentiality — https://www.courts.maine.gov/adminorders/jb-20-03.pdf
- Title 15 M.R.S. §3308-C — Sealing of juvenile case records — https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/15/title15sec3308-C.html
See also: all Maine counties.