Maine Probate Forms: Which Forms You Need and When to File Them

Settling an estate in Maine requires a specific sequence of forms filed with different agencies at different points in the administration process. Downloading the right form is only half the challenge — the other half is understanding when it must be filed, what must accompany it, and which agency processes it.

Maine's forms are spread across four different sources: the county probate courts (through maineprobate.net), Maine Revenue Services, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the county Registry of Deeds. None of them have the others' forms.

Probate Court Forms

These are filed with the Register of Probate in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death.

Form DE-201(I) — Application for Informal Probate of Will or Appointment of Personal Representative

This is the starting document for most estates that need formal administration. Filing this form requests that the Register of Probate approve the will (if one exists) and issue Letters of Authority empowering the nominated personal representative to act. No court hearing is required for informal probate — it is an administrative review. You will file this with the applicable county probate court along with the original will (if any), the filing fee based on estate value, and a death certificate.

Form AF-102 — Small Estate Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property

Used when the gross probate estate is under $52,500 (the 2026 threshold) and contains no real estate. This affidavit bypasses the probate court entirely and allows the successor to collect personal property directly from financial institutions. It must be notarized and cannot be executed until 30 days after the date of death. See the Maine small estate affidavit guide for full details.

Form DE-405 — Inventory

The personal representative must complete this form within three months of appointment. It lists all property owned by the decedent at the date of death, with fair market value for each item and the amount of any encumbrance. In informal probate, the personal representative is not required to file the inventory with the court proactively — but must furnish a copy to any interested person who requests one.

Form DE-602 — Sworn Statement of Personal Representative

The closing document for informal probate. The personal representative files this form to assert that the estate has been fully administered: all debts paid, all distributions made, all assets accounted for. It cannot be filed until at least six months have passed since the personal representative's appointment and nine months have passed since the decedent's death. Once filed and unchallenged for one year, the appointment terminates and the estate is closed.

Maine Revenue Services Forms

These are filed with Maine Revenue Services (MRS), not with the probate court.

Form 706ME — Maine Estate Tax Return

Required only when the federal gross estate plus taxable gifts within one year of death plus Maine elective property exceeds the 2026 exclusion amount of $7,160,000. Filed electronically through the Maine Tax Portal within nine months of the date of death. If tax is owed, payment is due at the same time. For the vast majority of Maine estates, this form is never needed.

Form 700-SOV — Statement of Value

This is the form most estates do need, even if they owe no estate tax. Maine places an automatic lien on all real property at the moment of the owner's death. If the estate is below the $7.16M threshold and no 706ME is required, the personal representative files Form 700-SOV electronically with MRS to document the estate's value and request a Certificate of Discharge of Estate Tax Lien. The signed certificate must then be recorded at the county Registry of Deeds (flat fee: $40 per document as of January 1, 2026) before any real estate can be sold or transferred. Every Maine estate with real property needs to complete this step.

Bureau of Motor Vehicles Forms

These are obtained from and submitted to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), Title Services Division.

Form MVT-2 — Application for Certificate of Title

The base application used for all vehicle title transfers. Submitted alongside the old title and the supporting forms listed below, depending on the ownership structure of the vehicle.

Form MVT-22 — Affidavit of Surviving Spouse or Personal Representative

A notarized statement used to transfer a vehicle title to a surviving spouse or heir. Required when the vehicle was not jointly titled (joint ownership vehicles pass automatically to the surviving owner with just a death certificate and the MVT-2). For jointly titled vehicles with a common ownership designation (multiple names but no "joint" specification), Form MVT-22 must be completed and notarized. For sole-ownership vehicles, the appointed personal representative uses this form along with their court appointment document. In small estates with no formal personal representative, heirs can file collectively with a statement from the probate court confirming no probate is pending.

Form MVT-8 — Duplicate Title Application

Used when the original vehicle title cannot be located. The standard $33 duplicate title fee is waived for surviving spouses and personal representatives processing a transfer due to death.

Form MVT-27 — Consent of Lien Holder

Required when an active auto loan exists on the vehicle. The financing institution completes this form granting the BMV permission to issue a new title in the survivor's name. Without it, the BMV cannot process the transfer.

Registry of Deeds Documents

The county Registry of Deeds is not a source of forms — it is a recording office. Documents that must be recorded there include:

• Personal Representative's Deed — transfers real estate from the estate to a buyer or heir after probate
• URPTODA Notice of Death Affidavit — used by a beneficiary to claim property that passed via a transfer-on-death deed, filed with a certified death certificate
• Certificate of Discharge of Estate Tax Lien — issued by MRS after processing Form 700-SOV; must be recorded here before the property can be sold

Effective January 1, 2026, all Maine county registries charge a flat $40 recording fee per document for non-municipal submitters, regardless of page count or number of indexed names. Verify margin requirements (typically a blank 1-inch by 3.5-inch space on the top margin of the first page) with your specific county registry before submitting, as rejections for formatting errors are common.

Vital Records and Agency Notifications

A handful of other forms are used outside the probate and tax systems:

Maine CDC Vital Record Request — used to order certified death certificates from the state Vital Statistics office or municipal clerk. Cost: $15 for the first copy, $6 per additional copy ordered simultaneously.

MainePERS Form CL-0722 — used by beneficiaries to claim pre-retirement death benefits if the decedent was a state employee, teacher, or participating local district employee. Filed directly with MainePERS.

Keeping the Sequence Straight

The sequencing of these forms matters as much as their content. The probate court application must come before the inventory requirement. The 700-SOV discharge must be recorded before the real estate closing. The small estate affidavit cannot be executed before day 30. The closing sworn statement cannot be filed before month six.

The Maine Estate Settlement Guide organizes every form by phase — first 48 hours, first 30 days, months 1-6, and closing — so each document is introduced at the right point in the timeline, with the supporting documents that accompany it.

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