Town Office

Orono Town Office

59 Main Street, 207-866-2556, Contact

APPLYING FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE The first step in filing a marriage license is to complete the marriage intentions worksheet. Both parties must sign the intentions, stating that they are free to marry.

The couple must file their intentions at the municipal office in the town or city where at least one of them resides. This license would be valid in the State of Maine.

If neither the bride nor the groom is a resident of Maine, they can file their intentions in any municipality. Once the intentions are filed and the license is issued, the parties are free to marry anywhere within the State.

Maine no longer requires that marriage licenses be held in the clerk's office for three business days before they can be issued.

Marriage licenses are valid for ninety days after the intentions are filed.

Persons previously married must provide documentation showing how the last marriage ended. This may possibly be a certified copy of a death certificate or a complete copy of a divorce decree signed by the judge.

The filing fee for a marriage license is $30.00. Certified copies of the marriage license may be obtained after the marriage has taken place and the license is filed with the clerk's office. The fee for a certified copy is $10.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy requested.

DOG LICENSES Maine law requires that all dogs six months of age or older be licensed in the municipality where their owners reside. Dog licenses for the year 2006 are now available. Proof of a valid Maine rabies vaccination is required. All dogs must be licensed before January 31, 2006 to avoid a penalty. The fee for a spayed or neutered dog is $6.00 and $11.00 for an unaltered dog.

ELECTIONS • Ward 1, Precinct 1 voters will no longer vote at the American Legion Hall. Please check the town website or the Orono Observer before the elections for further updates. Polls are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm.
Absentee ballots are available at the Town Clerk's Office.

GENEALOGY The town office has many valuable records that help the genealogist. The office has birth, death, and marriage records dating back to the early 1800's. However, records before 1892 are somewhat incomplete as Maine law did not require clerks to record these events until that year.

Copies of the Riverside Cemetery records are also kept here. Records of perpetual care payments, interments, and even burial transit permits are on file. The burial transit permits have helped unlock many mysteries and we have them dating back until 1901.

INLAND FISHERIES & WILDLIFE - RECREATIONAL VEHICLES The town clerk is the agent for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. We register snowmobiles, ATV's, and boats. First time registrations require proof of ownership. This may be an out of state registration, a bill of sale or signed registration from a private owner, or a sales tax receipt from a Maine dealer.

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS Motor vehicles previously registered in Maine may be renewed at the Town Office. Please bring the vehicle registration, the current mileage on the vehicle, and proof of valid insurance.

Our office is now a "full" motor vehicle registration agent. If a resident buys a vehicle from a Maine licensed dealer or a casual sale we can now do the new registration. The resident may purchase plates here at the town office. If a vehicle has been sold or traded, the resident may have excise tax credit that may be applied toward the new registration.

We may only collect the excise tax on vehicles when the owner requests vanity plates. Excise tax amounts are based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price of a vehicle when it is new. Excise tax amounts go down for six years until they reach a minimum. State law requires that owners of new vehicles must supply the sticker from the vehicle that lists the manufacturer's suggested retail price and options.

INLAND FISHERIES & WILDLIFE - LICENSES The town clerk is the agent for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. We sell a variety of resident and non-resident licenses. A person purchasing a hunting license must supply proof that he/she has either completed a hunter safety course or previously held an adult firearms license. The same is true with purchasing an archery license.

LANDFILL PERMITS The Orono Disposal Site, located off Forest Avenue, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Permits for the landfill are sold at the town office.

PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION The tax collector's office is also located in the town office. The current fiscal year of 2008 (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008) has two payments scheduled. The first half taxes were due on September 14, 2007 and the second payment will be due on February 8, 2008. Interest on unpaid taxes start immediately following the due dates. The current tax rate is $20.00 per $1000.00 of assessed value. Bills are mailed to taxpayers once a year in August and reminder postcards for the second half tax payments are mailed in January.

Town Office
Marriage Licenses Dog Licenses Elections Genealogy Recreational Vehicles Fish & Wildlife Licenses Land Fill Permits Motor Vehicle Notary Services Property Taxes Riverside Cemetery Vital Statistics Voter Registration

NOTARY SERVICES The Town Office provides notary services at a charge of $5.00/3 notary stamps. Photo identification is required. Wanda Thomas, Donna Emerson, Susan Tuholski, and Sue Hart are all commissioned notaries. Also, Sue Hart has a lifetime appointment as a Dedimus Justice. The single function of a Dedimus Justice under Maine Statute is swearing in public officials, including Notaries Public.

VITAL STATISTICS All birth, death, and marriage certificates involving Orono residents are filed with the clerk's office. Vital records are most commonly filed in three locations: 1) the Department of Human Services, State Registrar of Vital Statistics in Augusta, 2) the clerk's office in the town where the event occurred, and 3) the clerk's office of the resident.

Certified copies of vital records are available at a charge of $10.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy requested at the time. People must have a personal interest in the document that they request. The check should be made payable to the Town of Orono and mailed to the Town Clerk, PO Box 130, Orono, ME 04473.

VOTER REGISTRATION Town Residents may come to the Town Office during regular business hours to register to vote or make changes to their current enrollment status. Residents should notify the registrar if their name or address changes so that the voting list may be updated. The registrar has the exclusive power to revise and maintain the voting list. Petitions containing signatures of Orono voters should also be presented to the registrar for verification.

RIVERSIDE CEMETERY This office assigns the internment rights for lots at the Riverside Cemetery. They are only available to current Orono residents. There are six place lots and three place lots available. The prices for the perpetual care of these lots are $900.00 and $450.00, respectively. The cemetery also has an urn garden. Plots in the urn garden are $150.00.
Interring fees (Monday through Friday) are $300.00, $100.00 for a cremation. Saturday burials are $450.00, $150.00 for a cremation.
Residents interested in obtaining a lot should see the sexton to find out what is available. The sexton can be contacted at (207)478-2568 between the hours of 7:30 am and 3:30 pm from April 15th until October 31st. At other times, the sexton can be reached at the Public Works Garage (207) 866-5062.
The cemetery is closed to burials after December 1st.