Sheriffs in Maine are county officials, and that one fact explains most of how the system works. Maine has 16 counties, and each elects its own sheriff. The sheriff leads the patrol deputies, runs the county jail or holding facility, and serves court papers. To reach the right office, start with your county, not your town. Jurisdiction follows county lines, and the office that answers your call in Houlton works very differently from the one in Portland.

This page explains how those offices are organized, how coverage differs between rural and southern Maine, and what to expect when you contact one. The directory runs from the Waldo County Sheriff's Office in Belfast to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office in Ellsworth, so you can match your address to the correct county.

Who Runs a County Sheriff's Office in Maine

Maine voters elect a sheriff in each county to a four-year term. The governor and the county commissioners do not appoint the sheriff, so the job carries direct accountability to voters. The commissioners do control the budget, and the money comes largely from assessments on the towns in the county. That split is why sheriffs often appear at budget hearings to argue for jail staffing and patrol coverage.

The rules for county government, including the sheriff's role, sit in Title 30-A of the Maine Revised Statutes. Deputies and corrections officers train at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, which sets certification standards for law enforcement statewide. There is no statewide sheriff's agency. The Maine Sheriffs' Association helps the 16 counties coordinate on training and policy, but each office makes its own operating decisions.

Do not confuse a sheriff's office with the Maine State Police. The State Police belong to the Department of Public Safety. They patrol highways, investigate major crimes, and help cover places without local police. A sheriff's office is run by the county. The two agencies often work the same incident, but they have separate chains of command and separate records.

Rural Maine and Southern Maine: Two Kinds of Sheriff's Office

In southern Maine, municipal police departments handle most daily patrol. The Cumberland County offices, including 36 County Way in Portland, share territory with large city departments. The sheriff's role there leans toward the jail, court security, and contract patrol for smaller towns. The York County sheriff works from 1 Layman Way in Alfred, where the county jail is also located. In Androscoggin County, the sheriff's department and jail are at 2 Turner Street in Auburn, across the river from Lewiston.

The picture changes as you move north and east. Many small Maine towns have no police department at all. They rely on the sheriff's office, the State Police, or a part-time constable. Aroostook County is the largest county east of the Mississippi River and is bigger than Connecticut. Its deputies cover long distances from Houlton, Limestone, and the villages between. Piscataquis County, with offices on Court Street in Dover-Foxcroft, is mostly forest, with long stretches of road and no town center.

Unorganized territory and the north woods

Maine also has a large unorganized territory, mostly in the north woods, where no town government exists. In those townships the sheriff and the State Police are the main law enforcement. If you own a camp or work in the woods in Piscataquis, Aroostook, or Washington County, the county sheriff is effectively your local police. Expect longer response times than in a town with its own department.

Coastal counties and seasonal demand

Coastal counties add a seasonal wrinkle. The Hancock County office at 50 State Street in Ellsworth serves a county that fills with summer visitors, especially around Acadia National Park. Washington County, with its offices in Machias, covers a long and thinly populated stretch of coast that runs east to the Canadian border.

How to Find and Contact the Right Sheriff's Office in Maine

Some counties have two entries in our listings. Waldo County has one at 6 Public Safety Way and another at 45 Congress Street in Belfast. Franklin County shows two phone numbers at 123 County Way in Farmington, and Hancock shows two at 50 State Street. These often reflect separate divisions, such as the main office and the jail, but they can also be older records. Call before you drive.

Confirm your county first, using a property tax bill or a call to your town office, because several towns sit near county lines. For an emergency, call 911 and use the listed numbers only for non-emergency business. When you reach the office, ask for the division you need: patrol, civil process, records, or the jail. Bring a photo ID and any case number, court docket number, or paperwork you were given. Ask about counter hours, accepted payment methods, and whether you need an appointment.

Offices in county seats such as Belfast, Ellsworth, Farmington, Machias, and Houlton are usually close to the courthouse, so one trip can cover court business and a sheriff's errand. Smaller offices may close for lunch or keep limited counter hours, and a deputy on patrol may be the only person who can answer your question. A voicemail with your name, number, and case details usually gets a faster callback.

Services Maine Sheriffs Provide Beyond Patrol

Most residents meet a sheriff's office through paperwork rather than a crime. The common services are:

Service fees for civil papers are set under Maine law and are normally paid by the person asking for the papers to be served. Rates change, so ask the office for its current charge before you send documents. Protection from abuse orders work differently, and the District Court clerk can explain how service is handled in your case.

County jails after the Board of Corrections

Maine's jail system has changed in recent years. The legislature created the Maine Board of Corrections in 2008 to coordinate county jails, but the board was dissolved in 2015 and day-to-day control returned to the counties. Today the sheriff generally runs the jail in each county that has one. Our listings flag jails in Androscoggin, Penobscot, Oxford, Somerset, York, Hancock, Franklin, Waldo, Piscataquis, and Washington counties. Some counties, such as Knox, may hold people only briefly before a transfer, so always confirm where a person is held.

Some requests belong elsewhere. Criminal history checks go through the State Bureau of Identification, a division of the State Police. Vital records come from town clerks or the state, and court records come from the clerk of the court. A sheriff's office can point you to the right door but cannot produce those records. Concerns about a deputy's conduct go first to the sheriff or chief deputy, and serious complaints can also be raised with the county district attorney.

Sheriff offices in Maine are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in Maine elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 18 cities across Maine. They are spread across 16 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Dover-Foxcroft, Machias, Farmington, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

Maine residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

Sheriff by Counties

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If you are a Maine resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across Maine to find the nearest location.

Records, Jail Visits and Local Quirks Across Maine Counties

Records requests in Maine fall under the Freedom of Access Act, the state's public records law. Incident reports, arrest logs, and booking information are often public, though some details are withheld during active investigations or to protect victims. Ask in writing, name the date and location, and expect to pay copying costs.

Jail visits follow county rules, not state ones. Visiting days, ID requirements, and approved visitor lists differ between the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn, the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor, and the smaller jails in Machias or Dover-Foxcroft. Many facilities require advance scheduling, so call first.

Contract patrol is another local quirk. Some Maine towns pay a sheriff's office for set hours of deputy coverage instead of forming a police department. Ask your town office whether this applies to you. Note also that the Somerset County jail is in Madison, even though the county seat is Skowhegan, so the sheriff's address is not always the courthouse.

Sheriff Questions Maine Residents Ask

Maine has 16 sheriffs, one for each county: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, and York. County voters elect each sheriff to a four-year term in the November general election. Candidates usually come from within law enforcement. Because the sheriff is elected, you can raise concerns directly with the office, attend county budget hearings, or vote. County commissioners control the budget but do not direct daily law enforcement decisions.

The Maine State Police are a statewide agency within the Department of Public Safety. They patrol the Maine Turnpike and interstates, investigate major crimes, and share coverage of the unorganized territory with sheriffs. A sheriff's office is county-based. It runs the county jail, serves civil papers, and supports towns without police. In a rural town, either agency may answer your call, depending on who is closer. If you need a report, ask the agency whose officer responded.

After you file a case, the court papers must be delivered to the other party by an authorized person. A sheriff's deputy is the usual choice. Contact the civil process division in the county where the person lives or works. Bring the documents and copies, the person's full name, a home or work address, and any details about their schedule. Expect a service fee set under Maine law, and ask for the return of service, which the court needs as proof. Allow extra time in rural counties.

Start with the sheriff's office in the county where the arrest happened. Penobscot County in Bangor, Androscoggin County in Auburn, and York County in Alfred each keep their own bookings. Some counties post inmate rosters online, and the jail's front desk can often confirm custody by phone. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. A person arrested very recently may still be waiting for a bail commissioner or a first court appearance, so information can lag by several hours.

Generally no. A Maine concealed handgun permit comes from the municipal officers or police chief in your town, or from the Maine State Police if you live in the unorganized territory. Since 2015, most adults aged 21 and older who may legally possess a firearm can carry concealed without a permit, so many residents never apply. A permit can still help with reciprocity in other states. Rules change, so confirm with your town office or the Department of Public Safety.

Several counties appear more than once. Waldo County has entries at 6 Public Safety Way and 45 Congress Street in Belfast. Piscataquis County lists 52 Court Street and 17 Court Street in Dover-Foxcroft, and Washington County lists 83 Court Street and 42 Court Street in Machias. Cumberland County appears in Portland and on Long Island. The cause may be separate buildings for administration and the jail, older records, or sources that disagree. Call the listed number and confirm the address before you visit.

Aroostook County has three entries. The Sheriff's Office at 25 School Street in Houlton and the Sheriffs Department at 26 Court Street in Houlton both list 207-532-3471. A Limestone office at 93 Main Street lists 207-325-0912. Houlton is the county seat, so start there for court-related business. The Limestone number may be handier for matters in that part of the county. For any emergency, dial 911 rather than these numbers, and expect longer travel times because of the county's size.