How Do I File for Probate in Maine?

Maine offers a small-estate or summary procedure that can transfer property without a full grant of Letters when the estate qualifies. Maine issues one 'Letters of Authority of Personal Representative' (DE-404) for both testate and intestate estates, distinguished only by a 'Left a Will'/'Left no Will' checkbox, rather than separate Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration documents. Probate is handled by 16 county Probate Courts under one statewide form set; the official forms portal is maineprobate.net (the State of Maine County Probate Courts site, a .net rather than a .gov), while the governing statutes are on legislature.maine.gov. A proceeding may not be commenced more than 3 years after death, except as §3-108(1) provides. Small-estate collection by affidavit (AF-102) bypasses appointment entirely when the estate is at or below the §3-1201 threshold and 30 days have elapsed since death — the threshold is a $40,000 base adjusted for inflation under §1-108, which the county Probate Courts publish annually: $52,500 for decedents dying in 2026 (https://www.maineprobate.net/Forms2019/Cost%20of%20living%20calculations%20under%20Section%201-108%20(2020%20-%202026).pdf).

County Probate Court handles decedents' estates in Maine. Register of Probate issues Letters of Authority of Personal Representative after the court grants the petition.

In Maine the court issues Letters of Authority of Personal Representative to the personal representative — the executor when there is a will, or the administrator when there is none. They give that person authority to act for the estate.