Check the Status of a Civil Process Paper

Civil Process papers are non-criminal, court related documents and involve a civil (non-criminal) court proceeding such as evictions and small claims matters.

In many cases, the court rule requires that notice of the proceeding be served on the defendant by a Sheriff’s deputy. The Sheriff’s Office charges for this service and the fees are established by State of Maine law. A $80 deposit will be assessed when presenting the Civil Process Division of the Sheriff’s Office with civil papers that need to be served. Costs associated with civil process service generally involve $21 for service, approximately $3 for postage & withholding fees and 58 cents for each mile traveled. If any funds are left over from the deposit they will be refunded when sending back the “return of service” to the plaintiff.

A plaintiff may check on the status of a civil paper they are waiting to be served by calling the Civil Process Division at 207-667-1404, ext. 226.