Maine Adoption Background Check: Identogo, FBI Fingerprinting, and What to Expect

Background checks are a mandatory component of every adoption home study in Maine. Under Title 18-C, Section 9-304, all prospective adoptive parents must complete a comprehensive background check process before the court can grant an adoption petition. For most Maine families, the most confusing part of this requirement is not the concept — it is the logistics. Maine uses Identogo as its state-contracted fingerprinting provider, and families in rural areas quickly discover that getting an appointment can be a significant undertaking.

This post covers exactly what background checks are required, how the Identogo process works, what rural families can do to manage the logistics, and what criminal history will and will not disqualify an applicant.

What Background Checks Are Required in Maine Adoption

Maine's adoption background check requirements cover three separate systems:

FBI National Criminal Database. Fingerprinting is submitted to the FBI for a national criminal history check covering all states. This check captures felony and misdemeanor convictions across the country, not just Maine. All adult household members — not just the petitioner — must complete this check.

Maine Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). A state-level check of Maine's criminal history database. This captures convictions and pending charges in Maine courts.

Maine Child Abuse and Neglect Registry. A check against the state's child-abuse and neglect registry. The agency and court evaluate any result under the applicable licensing and adoption rules.

If an adult in the household has lived in another state, confirm any prior-state checks with OCFS or the home-study agency. The research does not establish a universal five-year lookback.

How Identogo Works in Maine

Identogo (a subsidiary of IDEMIA) is the state-contracted provider for live-scan fingerprinting in Maine. Live-scan captures fingerprints electronically and transmits them directly to state and federal databases, which is faster and more reliable than traditional ink-and-roll fingerprinting.

Scheduling. You schedule your Identogo appointment online at the Identogo website using a state-specific service code. The code for Maine adoption applicants is provided by your home study agency or DHHS caseworker. Do not go to an Identogo location without a pre-scheduled appointment — walk-ins are generally not accommodated.

Location network. Listed Maine locations include South Portland, Augusta, Bangor, and Lewiston. Check Identogo for current locations, appointment availability, and scheduling requirements. For a family in a rural county, the nearest available site may require substantial travel.

Fees. The fingerprinting fee is typically $49 per person, which is charged by Identogo at the appointment. This fee is separate from Probate Court filing fees and is not reimbursed under the standard non-recurring adoption expense reimbursement unless specifically negotiated in your adoption assistance agreement.

Processing time. Processing time varies with current agency and FBI volumes. Ask your home-study agency or DHHS caseworker when results are expected and whether an update is needed before the final decree.

Rural Maine and the Identogo Bottleneck

For families in rural Maine — particularly in Aroostook, Washington, Oxford, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties — the Identogo requirement is one of the most-cited logistical frustrations in the adoption process. A family in Presque Isle may be looking at a 3-4 hour round trip to reach an available Identogo location in Bangor or Lewiston.

Practical strategies Maine families have used:

Book the earliest available appointment when you start the process. Identogo appointments fill quickly, especially at smaller locations. As soon as you begin your home study, log on and schedule the fingerprinting — do not wait until it is "needed." Availability can be several weeks out.

Combine the trip with other adoption tasks. If your home study agency is in Bangor or Augusta, schedule your in-person home study interview on the same day as your Identogo appointment. Grouping tasks reduces the total number of rural driving days.

Check for mobile fingerprinting services. Some counties and municipalities arrange periodic mobile fingerprinting events. AFFM (Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine) or your DHHS regional office may be aware of upcoming mobile clinics in your area. These are not guaranteed but are worth checking.

All adults in the household. Every adult who lives in the home — not just the primary petitioner — must be fingerprinted. If you have a spouse, partner, or other adult household member, schedule all appointments at the same time rather than making multiple trips.

How Long Background Check Results Remain Valid

Background check results have a finite validity period. For Maine adoption purposes:

• The court requires that background check information be "sufficient and current" at the time of the final decree. In practice, this generally means checks must be no more than 12-24 months old.
• If your adoption process extends longer than expected — which happens in contested TPR cases or complex private adoption situations — you may need to repeat the fingerprinting process.
• If significant time has passed between your initial background check and your finalization hearing, confirm with your attorney or home study agency whether updated checks are needed before the court date.

How Criminal History Is Evaluated in Maine

The reports establish comprehensive background checks but do not establish a complete offense-by-offense list of automatic disqualifications or a former specific-offense exception. The agency and court evaluate criminal history under the applicable rules and the facts of the case.

Disclose any criminal history — including dismissed charges or old convictions — to the home-study agency and ask how the agency and court will evaluate it. Confirm the effect of any prior criminal or child-abuse/neglect record with OCFS, the agency, or Maine counsel before relying on a general statement about eligibility.

Re-Fingerprinting for Different Adoption Types

Families who were previously licensed as Maine foster parents and now wish to adopt may wonder whether their existing background checks carry over. Generally, the answer is yes — if your foster care licensing background check is current (within the validity period) and on file with DHHS or your agency, you do not need to repeat the process. However, you will likely need to pay the Probate Court Identogo fee as part of the court filing process, even if DHHS already has your prints on file. Confirm this with the specific Probate Court where you file, as practices can vary.

Families adopting internationally should confirm the Maine, federal, and foreign background-check requirements for the specific program with an accredited provider, the U.S. Department of State, and Maine counsel.

For a complete checklist of background check requirements, Identogo scheduling guidance, and what to bring to your appointment, the Maine Adoption Process Guide covers the full process in step-by-step detail.

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