Penobscot County, Maine Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Penobscot County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected newspaper catalog metadata checked for state and county attribution. Publication dates do not establish complete issue holdings or online access. Library of Congress newspaper directory

Formed
1816
County seat
Bangor
Androscoggin CountyAroostook CountyCumberland CountyFranklin CountyKennebec CountyKnox CountyLincoln CountyOxford CountyPiscataquis CountySagadahoc CountySomerset CountyWaldo CountyWashington CountyYork CountyHancock CountyPenobscot CountyAroostookCumberlandFranklinKennebecKnoxOxfordSomersetWaldoWashingtonHancockPenobscot
Penobscot CountyParent county (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries ยท U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Penobscot County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

Newspapers

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected newspaper titles cataloged by the Library of Congress with explicit county geography. Priority is given to titles beginning by 1950; up to five later titles are included where no earlier dated title is listed for that county. Dates describe publication history, not the issues available at a library. Multiple format records with the same title, place and dates are grouped. The catalog may describe paper, microfilm or online resources. Open ends and the word Current reflect the catalog description; confirm present availability and exact holdings with the libraries listed on the linked record.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

  • Find Penobscot County's official website

    We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the town clerk, the county registry of deeds and the probate court.

  • The town clerk

    Births, marriages and deaths, kept by each town.

  • The county registry of deeds

    Deeds and other land records (some counties have two registry districts).

  • The probate court

    Wills and estates, one court in each county.

  • The Maine State Archives

    In Augusta: state vital records, court records and land records.

  • Maine State Archivesfree

    The state archives in Augusta, with vital records, court and land records and military records.

  • FamilySearch Catalogfree

    Search by place for "Maine, Penobscot" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Hancock County

Check the parent county for earlier records: Hancock County

Later formed partly from Penobscot County: Aroostook County, Piscataquis County, Waldo County

WashingtonYorkCumberlandLincolnSomersetOxfordKennebecHancockPenobscotPenobscotHancockLincolnOxford
Penobscot as created in 1816Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1816, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

In Maine, look for births, marriages and deaths in the town where the event happened. Statewide registration began in 1892, and the town records often go back much further. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820.