How to Contact Region 7 Maine Courts During the eCourts Deployment (July 2026)

Maine’s eCourts system is expanding to Judicial Region 7 (Hancock County and Washington County) on Monday, July 27, 2026. During the transition, courts will be intermittently closed — but emergency filings and critical services remain available. This guide tells you exactly who to contact, when courts are open, and how to file during closures.

Region 7 Courts Affected

The eCourts deployment includes all of the following courts:

Court	Location
Hancock County Unified Criminal Docket (UCD)	Ellsworth
Hancock County Superior Court	Ellsworth
Ellsworth District Court	Ellsworth
Washington County Unified Criminal Docket (UCD)	Machias
Washington County Superior Court	Machias
Machias District Court	Machias
Calais District Court	Calais

All case types are included: civil, family, juvenile, and criminal cases.

How to Contact Each Court Directly

Court	Email	Phone
Region 7 (Protection from Abuse/Harassment filings)	region7pafilings@courts.maine.gov	See individual courts below
Ellsworth District Court	clerks-ellsworth@courts.maine.gov	Check courts.maine.gov
Machias District Court	clerks-machias@courts.maine.gov	Check courts.maine.gov
Calais District Court	clerks-calais@courts.maine.gov	Check courts.maine.gov

Check if a court is open before visiting: courts.maine.gov/courts/alerts.shtml

Court Closure Schedule: Hancock County (Ellsworth)

Week of July 13–17, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 13	✅ OPEN
Tuesday, July 14	✅ OPEN
Wednesday, July 15	✅ OPEN
Thursday, July 16	✅ OPEN
Friday, July 17	✅ OPEN

Week of July 20–24, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 20	✅ OPEN
Tuesday, July 21	🔴 CLOSED
Wednesday, July 22	🔴 CLOSED
Thursday, July 23	🔴 CLOSED (ShareFile disabled at 2:00 PM)
Friday, July 24	🔴 CLOSED

Week of July 27–31, 2026 (Administrative Week — First Week of eFiling)

Day	Status
Monday, July 27	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM (First day of eFiling)
Tuesday, July 28	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Wednesday, July 29	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Thursday, July 30	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Friday, July 31	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM

Court Closure Schedule: Washington County (Machias)

Week of July 13–17, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 13	✅ OPEN
Tuesday, July 14	✅ OPEN
Wednesday, July 15	✅ OPEN
Thursday, July 16	🔴 CLOSED
Friday, July 17	🔴 CLOSED

Week of July 20–24, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 20	🔴 CLOSED
Tuesday, July 21	🔴 CLOSED
Wednesday, July 22	🔴 CLOSED
Thursday, July 23	🔴 CLOSED (ShareFile disabled at 2:00 PM)
Friday, July 24	🔴 CLOSED

Week of July 27–31, 2026 (Administrative Week — First Week of eFiling)

Day	Status
Monday, July 27	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM (First day of eFiling)
Tuesday, July 28	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Wednesday, July 29	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Thursday, July 30	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Friday, July 31	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM

Court Closure Schedule: Calais District Court

Week of July 13–17, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 13	🔴 CLOSED
Tuesday, July 14	🔴 CLOSED
Wednesday, July 15	🔴 CLOSED
Thursday, July 16	🔴 CLOSED
Friday, July 17	🔴 CLOSED

Week of July 20–24, 2026

Day	Status
Monday, July 20	🔴 CLOSED
Tuesday, July 21	🔴 CLOSED
Wednesday, July 22	🔴 CLOSED
Thursday, July 23	🔴 CLOSED (ShareFile disabled at 2:00 PM)
Friday, July 24	🔴 CLOSED

Week of July 27–31, 2026 (Administrative Week — First Week of eFiling)

Day	Status
Monday, July 27	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM (First day of eFiling)
Tuesday, July 28	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Wednesday, July 29	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Thursday, July 30	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM
Friday, July 31	✅ OPEN 12–4 PM

Calais District Court is closed for the longest period — the full two weeks of July 13–24. Plan accordingly.

How to Submit Emergency Filings While Courts Are Closed

Even when your local court is closed, emergency filings can still be made. Here’s how to contact the right place for each type of emergency:

Protection from Abuse / Protection from Harassment

Method	Details
Email	Send to region7pafilings@courts.maine.gov (per PMO-SJC-3)
In-Person	Go to the nearest open court — check courts.maine.gov/courts/alerts.shtml
After Hours	Standard after-hours procedures remain in effect

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Helplines

If you or someone you know needs help:

Helpline	Contact	Details
Statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline	1-866-834-HELP (4357)	Free and confidential
Domestic Abuse (Deaf/Hard of Hearing)	1-800-437-1220	TTY/relay service
Statewide Sexual Assault Helpline	1-800-871-7741	Free and confidential

Mental Health – Involuntary Commitment (“Blue Papers”)

Method	Details
In-Person	Go to the nearest open court
Fax	Fax submissions for emergency involuntary commitment (“Blue Papers”) are permitted as normal

Weapons Restriction Orders

Type	How to File
Yellow Flag	Law enforcement must contact an open court for instructions
Red Flag	In-person filings accepted at the nearest open court

Request for Preliminary Protection Orders (Child Protection)

Method	Details
Email – Ellsworth District Court	clerks-ellsworth@courts.maine.gov
Email – Machias District Court	clerks-machias@courts.maine.gov
Email – Calais District Court	clerks-calais@courts.maine.gov
In-Person	Go to the nearest open court

Arrest Warrants and Search Warrants

Who	What to Do
Law Enforcement	Contact an open court for instructions

How to File Electronically: ShareFile to eFileMaine Transition

ShareFile Disabled: Thursday, July 23 at 2:00 PM

Starting July 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM, ShareFile will be disabled for all of the following:

Criminal filings
Civil violation filings
Juvenile filings
GAL (Guardian ad Litem) vouchers
Attorney billing procedures

eFileMaine Goes Live: Monday, July 27, 2026

Starting July 27, 2026, all attorneys must use eFileMaine to submit filings to Region 7 courts.

System	Status	Effective Date
ShareFile	🔴 Disabled	July 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM
eFileMaine	✅ Live	July 27, 2026

Mandatory electronic filers: As of July 27, 2026, you are required to eFile into Region 7 courts.

How to Access Training & Resources for eFiling

The Maine Judicial Branch has made extensive resources available to help you prepare for the transition:

Resource	Link	What You’ll Find
Maine eCourts Page	courts.maine.gov/ecourts	eFiling info, electronic records access, fine payments, FAQs, announcements
Training & Resources	courts.maine.gov/ecourts/efile-resources.html	Guides, instructional documents, recorded presentations, demos, trainings
Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems	courts.maine.gov/rules/text/mrecs.pdf	Official rules governing electronic filing
Court Alerts & Closures	courts.maine.gov/courts/alerts.shtml	Current court open/closed status

Quick Reference: Emergency Contacts During Closures

Emergency Type	Contact Method
Protection from Abuse/Harassment	Email: region7pafilings@courts.maine.gov or go to nearest open court
Domestic Violence Helpline	1-866-834-HELP (4357)
Domestic Violence (Deaf/HOH)	1-800-437-1220
Sexual Assault Helpline	1-800-871-7741
Involuntary Commitment (Blue Papers)	Go to nearest open court or fax as normal
Yellow Flag Orders	Law enforcement: contact an open court
Red Flag Orders	In-person at nearest open court
Child Protection PPOs – Ellsworth	clerks-ellsworth@courts.maine.gov
Child Protection PPOs – Machias	clerks-machias@courts.maine.gov
Child Protection PPOs – Calais	clerks-calais@courts.maine.gov
Arrest/Search Warrants	Law enforcement: contact an open court
Court Status (Open/Closed)	courts.maine.gov/courts/alerts.shtml

Important Reminders

July 27 is the first day of eFiling in Region 7 — all mandatory e-filers must use eFileMaine.
ShareFile shuts down July 23 at 2:00 PM — finish any pending ShareFile submissions before then.
Calais District Court is closed the longest — the full two weeks of July 13–24.
During Administrative Week (July 27–31), all Region 7 courts are open 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM only.
Emergency filings are still accepted during closures — via email, fax, or at the nearest open court.
Check court status before visiting at courts.maine.gov/courts/alerts.shtml.
If all courts are closed after business hours, standard after-hours emergency procedures remain in effect.
Prepare now — review eFiling training materials and resources before July 27.
Protection from Abuse filings can be emailed to region7pafilings@courts.maine.gov during business hours even when courts are closed.
Help is available — the Domestic Abuse Helpline (1-866-834-HELP) and Sexual Assault Helpline (1-800-871-7741) are free, confidential, and available statewide.

This guide is based on the Maine Judicial Branch Region 7 eCourts Deployment notice. For the most current information, visit courts.maine.gov/ecourts.