Criminal Statistics
The Maine Department of Public Safety publishes annual statistical crime data as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting program of the FBI. According to the 2017 report compiled by Penobscot county law enforcement agencies, the county recorded 2,516 total index crimes putting the overall crime rate at an average of 16.56. Property crimes accounted for 96% of the reported crimes, making it the more popular subset of offenses, while only 100 incidents of violent crime were reported, constituting 3.9% of the total reported offenses.
A closer look at the numbers revealed larceny to be the leading criminal offense in the county with a recorded 1,950 incidents within a 12-month span. Burglary and auto theft were reported to be the second and third most recurring crimes respectively with 386 and 77 reported incidents respectively. Aggravated assault topped the charts among violent crime offenses, accounting for 48% of the incidents reported in the subset while rape and robbery followed behind with 29 and 21 incidents respectively. Across all subsets, arson and murder were reported to be the least occurring criminal offense.
Criminal Records
The Penobscot County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency of the county and is tasked with maintaining crime-related reports and records of criminal activity within the county. The office provides public access to non-confidential criminal history information and processes requests for background checks on county residents. Similarly, the Department of Public Safety Maine State Police is the primary custodian of the statewide criminal history repository and the department also provides requestors with criminal information of persons within the state.
How to Get Criminal Records
Requests for criminal records can be made by querying the Records Division of the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office. The records provided by this office include the subject's local arrest records as well as details of all gross misdemeanor and felony offenses plus conviction and disposition information.
Interested persons may obtain criminal records by making in-person requests to the Sheriff's Office, or by sending mail requests to the Division. The requesting party will be required to provide the necessary information on the subject such as their full name, date of birth and their full set of fingerprints (if applicable). Both mail and in-person requests may be made to:
Records Division,
Penobscot County Sheriff's Office,
85 Hammond St.,
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 947-4585
Similarly, records can be requested from the Maine Criminal History Record and Juvenile Crime Request Service. The requesting party is required to send a written request stating the subjects full name and date of birth to request a record.
How to find Sex Offender Information
The Maine Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the Maine State Police Department and houses all information regarding registered sex offenders resident in Penobscot county including their current location and compliance status. Interested persons may search the registry by the name of an offender or by city/town. Offenders may also be searched by zip code and by specific radius and their proximity to specific locations. Penobscot county residents may also sign up for alerts in order to receive notifications regarding offenders in specific location.
Where and How to Get Inmate and Jail Information
The Penobscot County Sheriff's Office is tasked with overseeing the affairs of the county jail which houses incarcerated persons within county limits. Inmate and jail-related queries can be made to the Sheriff's Office while necessary information regarding inmate welfare, visitation and contact details can be viewed on the Facility Information Page. The Sheriff's -Office also publishes the Penobscot Sheriffs Office Current Inmate Offense List. interested persons may view information concerning inmate's offenses, court information, and bail or conditions. On the roster, inmates can be searched by name or death of offenses.
Court Records
Where and How to get Court Records
The Penobscot County Superior Court maintains hears cases pertaining to the county and persons within its jurisdiction, and the office of the Superior Court Clerk maintains and disseminates records of court cases heard by the court.
Interested persons may view or obtain copies of non-confidential court records by querying the Clerk's office via mail or in person. To obtain a record, the requestor will be required to provide information regarding the record including the case file number of the record as well as the names of victims, witnesses, and litigants involved.
Both in-person and mail record requests may be made to:
Penobscot County Superior Courthouse
78 Exchange Street,
Bangor, ME 04401
(207) 561-2300
Location of all Courts in County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of courthouses in Penobscot County, Maine:
Penobscot County Superior Court
78 Exchange St,
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 561-2300
Penobscot County District Court - Bangor
78 Exchange St,
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 561-2300
Penobscot County District Court - Lincoln
52 Main St,
Lincoln, ME 04457
Phone: (207) 794-8512
Penobscot County District Court - Millinocket
Physical: 207 Penobscot Ave,
Millinocket, ME 04462
Mailing: 52 Main St,
Lincoln, NH 04457
Phone: (207) 723-4786
Penobscot County District Court - Newport
12 Water St,
Newport, ME 04953
Phone: (207) 368-5778
Penobscot County Probate Court
97 Hammond St,
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 942-8769
Fax: (207) 561-6184
Vital Records
Penobscot County vital records are generally managed by the clerks of the various municipalities where the event occured within the county. Thus, county residents may access birth, death, marriage or divorce records from the municipality or from the State Office of Vital Records which serves as the central repository for Maine vital records. The eligibility requirements for accessing these records typically varies depending on the record.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Requests for divorce records are processed by the Maine Vital Records Office. As per state laws, copies of divorce certificates may be accessed by interested members of the public.
To obtain a divorce record, the requesting party is required to provide information regarding the record such as the names on the record as they appeared at the time of the divorce, the date of the divorce, the name of the city or town where the divorce occurred and a check or money order payment of $15 to cover the cost of the record, which should be made payable to “Treasurer - State of Maine”. Requests for divorce records may be made to:
Vital Records
11 State House Station,
220 Capitol Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
Where and How to Get Marriage Records, Birth Records, and Death Records
Records of births, marriages, and deaths that occurred in Penobscot are maintained by the state Vital Records Office. However birth records less than 75 years old, death records less than 25 years old and marriage records less than 50 years old are deemed private in the state of Maine and can only be viewed or copied by the subject of the record, an immediate family member, spouse or descendant of the subject, and persons with legal authorization to access the record.
To access any of these records interested persons may make in-person or mail requests to the Vital Records Office. The requestor will be required to provide the name(s) on the record, the place, and date of the event, their relationship with the subject(s) of the record and a check or money order payment of $15 to cover the cost of the record. Requestors will also be required to present a government-issued photo ID in order to confirm their eligibility to access the record.
Requests for vital records may be made to:
Vital Records Office
11 State House Station,
220 Capitol Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Penobscot County?
Per the Maine Freedom of Access Act, property records in Penobscot County are considered public. The law requires county record custodians to accept requests from members of the general public and make desired records available for varying fees where necessary.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Penobscot County
The Penobscot County Registry of Deeds maintains property records and provides access to interested persons. Property records in the Registry of Deeds' custody are available online and offline. Parties may also visit the office or send mail requests. These requests must describe the record as much as possible, providing all information known to the requestor. Interested parties may apply to the Registry of Deeds at:
Penobscot County Registry of Deeds
97 Hammond Street
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 942-8797
Fax: (207) 945-4920
Mailing Address
Penobscot Registry of Deeds
P.O. Box 2070
Bangor, ME 04402
How to Look Up Penobscot County Property Records
Persons seeking remote access to property records may search registry records online as provided by the Registry of Deeds. Residents can search by name, address, book and page numbers, year and instrument number, scanned index information, and entry date. The scanned index search is for documents recorded before 1964.
The platform offers free access and subscription options. Subscribers are charged $35 per month plus 50 cents per page for print images. Persons who do not have subscription accounts may use credit cards to pay for documents. All credit card payments require a transaction fee.
Location of Penobscot County Property Assessors
Property assessment in Penobscot County is handled at the municipal level. Persons looking to visit assessors' offices may contact the Penobscot County office or contact township assessors for more information. All properties that fall under unorganized territories are under the jurisdiction of the Maine Revenue Services, Property Tax Division. Contact information for both offices are as follows:
Penobscot County Office
97 Hammond Street
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 942-8535
Maine Revenue Services
Property Tax Division
51 Commerce Drive
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: (207) 624-5600
Fax: (207) 287-6396
Email: prop.tax@maine.gov
