Administrative Orders

Orders provide guidelines for court operations that are issued by the Supreme Judicial Court, Trial Chiefs or the Administrative Office of the Courts.

An 'Administrative Order' is an order issued by the Supreme Judicial Court, regarding one or all of the courts and offices of the Judicial Branch, which orders, directs, changes, or clarifies a practice or procedure of any court which is intended to have an effect on its customers or the general public in its dealings with the court.

See also Maine Courts Response to COVID-19.

Order Number Name Subject Issued/Amended Date
JB-05-01 Withdrawal of Administrative Orders Administrative Orders Withdrawal 09/19/11
JB-05-02 Protocol for Issuance, Distribution and Publication of Administrative Orders Admininstrative Orders Protocols 09/19/11
JB-05-04 Hours of Operation Operations 03/30/23
JB-05-05 Revised Fee Schedule for Guardians ad Litem and Court-Appointed Workers' Compensation Attorneys in All Courts Fee Schedule 11/22/21
JB-05-07 Legal Assistance by Law Students Law Students 11/30/09
JB-05-08 District Court Representation by Employees of Bureau of Unemployment Compensation, Department of the Attorney General or Bureau of Revenue Services and Members of Certain Limited Liability Companies in Court Matters Representation 10/09/13
JB-05-09 Concerning the Bringing of Firearms and Weapons into Supreme Judicial, Superior, and District Courts, and Related Areas Firearms and Weapons 05/16/11
JB-05-10 Handling of Contaminated or Dangerous Materials Hazmat 08/01/05
JB-05-11 Access to Clerks' Offices, Computer Terminals, and Court Files Access 03/30/23
JB-05-12 Filing Methods: Use Of Facsimile Machines (Withdrawn, see JB-23-01) Fax 08/01/05
JB-05-13 Notice of Periods for Electronic Recording Recording 08/01/05
JB-05-14 Duplication Of Electronic Recordings Duplication 05/30/14
JB-05-14 Duplication Of Electronic Recordings Duplication 02/12/24
JB-05-15 Cameras and Audio Recording in the Courts Cameras and Audio 03/03/23
JB-05-16 Use of Cellular Phones, Pagers, and Other Electronic Devices in Courthouses Cell Phones and Devices 05/09/23
JB-05-17 Issuance of Warrants Warrants 09/19/11
JB-05-18 Family Law Magistrate Authority Magistrates 08/01/05
JB-05-19 Deadline for Filing Petition for Emancipation When an Attorney is Appointed by the Court to Represent the Petitioner Emancipation 09/19/11
JB-05-20 Public Information and Confidentiality Confidentiality 04/29/24
JB-05-21 Records Retention Schedule Records Retention 10/25/23
JB-05-22 Custody, Removal, and, Disposal of Exhibits in Civil Actions Exhibits, Civil 08/01/05
JB-05-26 Revised Court Fee and Document Management Procedures Fee Schedule 02/12/24
JB-05-27 Rules Oversight and Rulemaking Processes Rules Oversight 02/08/16
JB-06-03 Guidelines for Determination of Eligibility for Court-Appointed Interpretation and Translation Services Interpreters and Translation 03/11/22
JB-07-01 Establishment of the Business and Consumer Docket Business and Consumer 11/12/08
  Standing Order: Business and Consumer Docket Regarding Transfers of Venue Standing Order, Business and Consumer 06/01/07
  Standing Order: Order Designating Field Operations Specialists as Deputy Clerks at Large Standing Order, Field Operations Specialists 06/20/07
JB-07-02 Field Operations Specialists Designated as Deputy Clerks at Large Field Operations Specialists 09/01/07
JB-07-03 Authority of Judges/Justices to Sit in Either District or Superior Court Judges, Justices 11/01/07
  Standing Order: Establishing Procedures for Convening and Using Regional Grand Juries in Multi-County Judicial Regions Standing Order, Regional Grand Juries 08/01/09
JB-08-01 Establishment of Judicial Regions Judicial Regions 07/01/08
JB-09-02 Access to Social Security Numbers and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (Withdrawn by JB-05-20 (as amended by A. 4-21))
 Access, SSN 09/19/11
JB-09-04 Exception to Maine Rule of Civil Procedure for Post-Judgment Family Matter Projects (Withdrawn, see JB-21-02) Family Matters 12/01/09
JB-10-02 Appointment and Authority of Acting Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court Acting Clerk of SJC 04/10/15
JB-12-01 Recording of Trial Court Proceedings Recording 09/25/17
JB-14-01 Foreclosure Cases in Region II Foreclosure 03/10/14
JB-15-01 Confidentiality of Courthouse Security System Footage Confidentiality 05/01/15
JB-15-02 Entry Screening in Courthouses Entry Screening 05/01/15
JB-15-03 Use of Court Facilities for Non-Judicial Branch Functions Facilities 05/19/15
JB-15-04 Penobscot County Pilot Project to Allow Remote Testimony in Criminal Cases (Withdrawn, see JB-23-01) Remote Testimony Pilot 06/04/15
  Standing Order: Order Impounding Certain Private Images Standing Order, Private Images 06/23/22
JB-16-01 Establishment and Operation of Specialty Dockets Specialty Dockets 01/19/16
JB-17-01 Order of Court Closings upon State Shutdown State Shutdown 06/30/17
JB-20-01 Possession and Use of Electronic Devices by Jurors and Prospective Jurors Jurors 01/30/20
  Temporary Standing Order Regarding Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (RECS) RECS, Access to Paper Pleadings 08/18/23
JB-20-02 Approval of Family Law Magistrate Pilot Project Magistrates 06/01/21
  Standing Order: Standing Order of the Chief Judge Establishment of Family Law Magistrate Pilot Project Standing Order, Magistrates 06/01/21
  Standing Order: Standing Order Regarding Small Claims Standing Order, Small Claims 12/01/20
JB-20-03
Application of the Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (MRECS) During the Implementation of the Odyssey Case Management System MRECS, Case Management System 08/31/23
JB-20-04 Application of the Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (RECS) to Guide & File Users RECS, Guide & File 12/14/20
JB-21-01 Limited Authorization of the Trial Court Chiefs or Their Designees to Alter the Hours of Operation at a Court Location (Withdrawn, see JB-23-01) Hours of Operation 01/08/21
  Standing Order: Standing Order Conferring a Limited Authority on Designated Judges in Each Region to Alter Operating Hours at a Court Location Standing Order, Hours of Operation 01/08/21
JB-21-02 Withdrawal of Administrative Order JB-09-04 Administrative Orders Withdrawal 02/24/21
JB-21-03 Access to Requests for Appointments of Guardians ad Litem, Orders Appointing Guardians ad Litem, and Guardian ad Litem Reports (Withdrawn by JB-05-20 (as amended by A. 4-21) GALs, Access 03/25/21
JB-21-04 Order Closing Defunct Committees, Councils, Commissions, Working Groups, Advisory Groups, and Task Forces Committees 11/08/22
JB-21-05 Order Regarding Trial Court Remote Proceedings and Public Access Remote Proceedings 08/18/23
JB-21-06 Order Regarding Filing Using ShareFile Pilot

See the Citrix™ ShareFile Pilot web page		 Email Filing Pilot Program 06/13/22
JB-22-01 Order Regarding Proposed Orders by Email Email Proposed Orders 01/06/22
JB-22-02 Reducing Public Access to Clerks' Offices and Implementing Schedule Reductions Due to Absences and Vacancies (Withdrawn, see JB-23-01) Schedules; Reduced Hours 01/10/22
JB-22-03 Order Regarding Referees Referees 03/07/22
JB-22-04 Order Regarding Setoff of Bail Bail 03/28/22
JB-23-01 Withdrawal of Administrative Orders JB-05-12, JB-15-04, JB-21-01, and JB-22-02 Administrative Orders Withdrawal 03/30/23
JB-23-02 Order Regarding Health Requirements for Courthouse Entry (Withdrawn, see JB-24-01) COVID-19 03/30/23
  Standing Order: Standing Order Authorizing Dissemination of and Access to Records in the Custody of the State Forensic Service Access 03/20/23
  Standing Order: Standing Order Regarding Motions for Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in Family Matters Family Matters 03/10/23
JB-23-03 Electronic Access to Juror Questionnaires Jurors 07/17/23
  Standing Order: Standing Order for Limited Access to Juror Information Standing Order, Jurors 06/30/23
JB-23-04 Order Regarding Court-Paid Attorney Referees Referees 07/18/23
  Standing Order: Unified Criminal Docket Standing Order on Initial Assignment of Counsel Standing Order, UCD, Assignment of Counsel 11/03/23
JB-24-01 Withdrawal of Administrative Order JB-23-02 Administrative Orders Withdrawal 09/30/24
  Standing Order: Standing Order Transferring Venue in Oxford County Standing Order, Venue 11/04/24
JB-24-02 Adjustments to Exemptions from Attachment and Execution Contained in 14 M.R.S. § 4422 Adjustments 10/24/24