Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about Maine BMV

Maine BMV requirements in detail

What the Certificate of Translation covers

The BMV lists the Translation Certificate on its forms page.

The form is addressed to driver license and ID card applicants, who must establish that they are lawfully present in the United States, and its rule is about documents submitted as evidence of that.

It does not speak to other documents, and the BMV's Chapter 15 rules on legal presence and Driver's License Manual do not mention translations at all, so the form is where this rule lives. It is still marked "Revised 12/23/08".

Most of the documents on the BMV's non-citizen list are U.S. immigration papers, such as a Permanent Resident Card, an Employment Authorization Document or an I-94.

Foreign-language papers come up elsewhere: Chapter 15 lets a person born abroad who claims citizenship through a U.S. citizen parent present a foreign birth certificate, proof of the parent's citizenship and evidence of the legal relationship.

If those documents are unavailable, it accepts an authentic statement from the country's authorized representative and at least two sworn affidavits (Chapter 15, section 4).

What the translator signs

The certificate is written for one applicant and one document. The translator names the language, describes the document, gives its certificate or other identifying number, and names the applicant and date of birth.

The translator certifies that the translation is true and accurate to the best of their abilities and accepts that a false statement is Unsworn Falsification under 17-A M.R.S.A. Section 453, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in prison, or both (Certificate of Translation, Bureau of Motor Vehicles).

The last lines ask for the translator's signature, printed name, address, telephone number, driver license number and state of issue, and date.

This page does not say that those details come with an eVerbary order; ask before you order.

For questions on legal-presence documents, the BMV says to contact its License Information section before visiting a branch, at 207-624-9000, ext.

52114 or License.BMV@maine.gov (How to Prove Legal Presence for a Non United States Citizen).

Legal-presence limits, REAL ID and the exam

A license or ID may not be issued to a noncitizen with nonimmigrant visa status whose authorized stay ends fewer than 120 days from applying, with some exceptions, and Maine law bars expired documents issued by a foreign country and a foreign passport showing an elapsed departure date (Chapter 15, section 6, 29-A M.R.S. 1301).

Chapter 15 itself does not apply to REAL ID credentials. The REAL ID page accepts only originals or documents certified by the issuing agency, wants a clear trail of name changes, and states no translation rule.

The identity list takes two documents, one with a date of birth and one with a signature, and includes adoption papers, baptismal records, a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, divorce papers, a court order and a passport.

It states no translation rule either. The knowledge test has 30 questions and you need at least 24 correct; a vision test is required of all applicants.

You name the language you need on the exam application form, and digital tests run at the BMV's 13 branches (Drivers License Exam).

Documents people usually translate

• Foreign birth certificates presented for citizenship through a U.S. citizen parent
• Evidence of your legal relationship to that parent
• Statements from a country's authorized representative that a document is unavailable
• Sworn affidavits about a birth or a relationship to a parent
• Other foreign-language documents submitted as evidence of legal presence

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page with no word cap, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to Maine BMV

• Present the foreign-language document with its complete English translation and the completed Certificate of Translation; the form says all three go together.

  If you are unsure whether a document will work, contact the License Information section first: 207-624-9000, ext. 52114 or License.BMV@maine.gov (How to Prove Legal Presence for a Non United States Citizen).

• For a learner's permit, you can bring your documents to a branch or mail them to the Examination Section, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0029. Copies of identity documents may be mailed, but originals must be shown at the exam (How to Obtain a License).

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions