Maine statute
16 M.R.S. § 704 — Dissemination of public criminal history record information
Current through First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025)
Part of Chapter 7: Criminal History Record Information Act, Maine Revised Statutes.
Full text of 16 M.R.S. § 704
Statutory text current through the First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025). This publication reproduces the statutory text of the Maine Revised Statutes from the Revisor of Statutes' official published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Maine and has not been certified by the Secretary of State.
1. Generally. Public criminal history record information is public for purposes of Title 1, chapter 13. Public criminal history record information may be disseminated by a Maine criminal justice agency to any person or public or private entity for any purpose. Public criminal history record information is public whether it relates to a crime for which a person is currently within the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system or it relates to a crime for which a person is no longer within that jurisdiction. There is no time limitation on dissemination of public criminal history record information.
2. Required inquiry to State Bureau of Identification. A Maine criminal justice agency, other than a court, shall query the Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Identification before disseminating any public criminal history record information for a noncriminal justice purpose to ensure that the most up-to-date disposition information is being used. "Noncriminal justice purpose" means a purpose other than for the administration of criminal justice or criminal justice agency employment.
3. Public criminal history record information of person whose legal name has been changed. Except as provided in this subsection, a Maine criminal justice agency may disseminate public criminal history record information associated with each former and current legal name of a person whose name has been changed to any person or public or private entity for any purpose. If an order changing the person's name was made confidential under Title 18-C, section 1-701, subsection 3-A or any other provision of law, a Maine criminal justice agency:
A. May not disclose the existence or nonexistence of the person's legal name change to any person or public or private agency that is not authorized to receive confidential criminal history record information under section 705; and
B. In response to a request for public criminal history record information from any person or public or private agency that is not authorized to receive confidential criminal history record information under section 705, may not disseminate public criminal history record information about a person that is associated with any legal name of the person not included within the request.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.