State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Maine
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the Maine form
State of Maine publishes the current form here: https://www1.maine.gov/guardianship/documents/advdirectivesform.pdf
Most people use the Maine Hospital Association standard form.
Maine's form is filed under guardianship, which is why it is hard to find
Maine's Health Care Advance Directive is published by the state, but it is filed on the guardianship pages. That is why a search for a Maine advance directive often comes up empty: the document sits in a section about court-appointed decision-making, which is a different subject entirely.
Once you have the file, it is a straightforward combined directive covering both jobs — naming your agent and recording your wishes.
Maine has a second wrinkle worth knowing. The document most Maine residents actually sign is the Maine Hospital Association's standard form rather than the state's own version. Both are in circulation, and if you have one while a relative has the other, that is not a mistake.
Either way, there is no fee, and nothing has to be filed.
Maine's state form lives on the guardianship pages, and the form most people use comes from the Maine Hospital Association. Two different-looking documents are both normal here — what matters is that yours names your agent.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Maine requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the Maine advance directive form free?
Yes. State of Maine publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Maine form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Maine law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Maine advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.