Text Message Hearing Notifications

The Maine Judicial Branch will soon begin sending notifications to certain parties in criminal cases by text message to their cell phone. This free service will be a convenience and aims to reduce the number of people failing to appear in Maine’s courts. Text message notifications will not replace paper hearing notices that are mailed to parties.

Some defendants in Androscoggin and Oxford County courts began receiving reminders for scheduled, rescheduled, or cancelled hearings for their criminal cases in 2025. Defendants in Kennebec and Somerset County courts can expect text message hearing notifications for their cases after February 2026. Eventually, text message notifications will be rolled out statewide as Maine eCourts is implemented.

How to sign up for text notifications

• Defendants in criminal cases in Lewiston and Auburn will be automatically signed up after June 2025 if the defendant’s cell phone number is on file with the court.
• Defendants in criminal cases in Rumford, Farmington, and South Paris will be automatically signed up after September 2025 if the defendant’s cell phone number is on file with the court.
• Defendants in criminal cases in Augusta, Waterville, and Skowhegan will be automatically signed up after February 2026 if the defendant’s cell phone number is on file with the court.
• In most cases, law enforcement will collect a defendant’s cell phone number and provide it to the court.
• If the court does not have the defendant’s cell phone number on file, or if the phone number has changed, the court will provide a form for the defendant to complete at their first court appearance.
• Please note, a defendant's cell phone number must be on file with the court at least 3 days prior to a scheduled court hearing to receive text message hearing notifications.

Beware of Scams

The Maine Judicial Branch is aware of an increase in phone, and text-related scams where the perpetrator is seeking personal or financial information by posing as a legitimate government agency. The Maine Judicial Branch WILL NEVER call or text parties and ask for personal information or require you to make a payment over the phone or through text. Additionally, we will not send links in our text messages and recommend that you do not click on links received via SMS.

Opting out

If you do not want to receive text message notifications on your cell phone, simply respond "No" to opt out. Responding "No" will stop future messages related to that case from being sent to your cell phone number.