Maine Forms

Hancock County Certificate of Trust Form

Hancock County Certificate of Trust Form

Hancock County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/23/2025
Hancock County Certificate of Trust Guide

Hancock County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/11/2025
Hancock County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Hancock County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/4/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Hancock County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Hancock County Register of Deeds
Address:
50 State St, Suite 9
Ellsworth, Maine 04605

Hours: 7:30 to 4:00 M-F / Recording from 8:30 to 4:00

Phone: (207) 667-8353

Recording Tips for Hancock County:
  • Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
  • If mailing documents, use certified mail with return receipt

Cities and Jurisdictions in Hancock County

Properties in any of these areas use Hancock County forms:

  • Aurora
  • Bar Harbor
  • Bass Harbor
  • Bernard
  • Birch Harbor
  • Blue Hill
  • Brooklin
  • Brooksville
  • Bucksport
  • Castine
  • Corea
  • Cranberry Isles
  • Deer Isle
  • East Blue Hill
  • East Orland
  • Ellsworth
  • Franklin
  • Frenchboro
  • Gouldsboro
  • Hancock
  • Harborside
  • Hulls Cove
  • Islesford
  • Little Deer Isle
  • Mount Desert
  • Northeast Harbor
  • Orland
  • Penobscot
  • Prospect Harbor
  • Salsbury Cove
  • Sargentville
  • Seal Cove
  • Seal Harbor
  • Sedgwick
  • Sorrento
  • Southwest Harbor
  • Stonington
  • Sullivan
  • Sunset
  • Surry
  • Swans Island
  • Winter Harbor

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Hancock County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Hancock County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Hancock County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Hancock County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Hancock County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Hancock County?

Recording fees in Hancock County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (207) 667-8353 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

The Maine certification of trust falls under the Maine Uniform Trust Code and is codified at 18-B M.R.S. 1013.

Under the statute, "Instead of furnishing a copy of the trust instrument to a person other than a beneficiary, the trustee may furnish to the person a certification of trust" (18-B M.R.S. 1013(1)). A trustee doing business on behalf of a trust generally provides a certificate as proof of his/her/their authority to act.

As an abstract of the trust instrument, the certificate contains only essential information relevant to the transaction at hand, allowing the trust instrument to remain private. For trustees not wishing to disclose the identity of persons having a beneficial interest in the trust, the certificate is a useful alternative to providing the trust instrument.

The certificate requires specific information about the trust, including the name and date of the trust instrument, the trust's taxpayer identification number, and whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable. It includes the trust's settlor, who is "a person, including a testator, who creates or contributes property to a trust" in addition to each acting trustee's name and address (18-B M.R.S. 103(14)).

A lawful certificate also requires a description of the trustee's powers as they relate to the transaction at hand. Since certificates are usually presented in real estate transactions involving trust property, they also require a legal description of the real property in the trust. The certificate includes the name by which the trust will hold property.

If there is more than one trustee, the certificate presents the names of each trustee who is authorized to authenticate documents, and whether all or fewer than all are required to exercise trustee powers.

Finally, the certificate requires a statement "that the trust has not been revoked, modified or amended in any manner that would cause the representations contained in the certification of trust to be incorrect" (18-B M.R.S. 1013(3)). Representations are deemed correct, and a recipient of a certification of trust is not liable for acting on the information contained within (18-B M.R.S. 1013(6)).

Recipients may ask the trustee for excerpts from the trust instrument that designate the trustee and authorize the trustee to act in the transaction at hand, but requesting the entire trust document opens them to liabilities as set out in 18-B M.R.S. 1013(8).

Certificates can be signed by any trustee (18-B M.R.S. 1013(2)). If recording, submit the certificate in the county in which the real property subject to the transaction is situated.

Trust law can be complicated, so contact an attorney with questions about using a certificate of trust or other related issues.

(Maine COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in Hancock County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Hancock County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Hancock County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Hancock County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4577 Reviews )

Matthew L.

September 15th, 2022

I would make just two suggestions. (1) Create and example showing multiple grantor(s) and (2) In the same example, show where and estate is conveyed to two or more people. It would help in knowing the correct format.

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