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Rent Regulations

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 4551–4640 (housing subchs.) § 4632

Offensive names

In Force
Verified 10/21/2026 · Next check 10/28/2026
effective 10/21/2026MaineFair Housing & Anti-Discrimination

Operative Text

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 4551–4640 (housing subchs.) § 4632
1.
Complaint.
Any person, including any employee of the commission, may file a complaint with the commission which states the belief that a name of a place is offensive, as defined in Title 1, section 1101 .






2.
Preliminary investigation.
Upon receipt of such a complaint, the commission or its delegated single commissioner or investigator shall conduct a brief preliminary investigation as it deems necessary to determine whether the name of the place is offensive.






3.
Order of dismissal.
If the commission finds that the place does not have an offensive name, it shall enter an order so finding, and shall dismiss the proceeding.






4.
Agreement.
If the commission finds that the place does have an offensive name, it shall endeavor to accomplish a change in the name by an agreement with the municipal officers or county commissioners to initiate and implement the actions required to change the name, as provided in Title 1, section 1104 .






5.
Civil action by commission.
If the commission is unable to obtain an agreement under subsection 4 or if the agreement is not carried out, the commission shall file in the Superior Court a civil action seeking such relief as is appropriate.






6.
Procedure in Superior Court.
Any action filed by the commission pursuant to subsection 5 shall be heard by the Superior Court and shall be subject to the following provisions:



A.
The court shall hear the case and grant relief as in other civil actions for injunctions.



B.
Any such action shall be brought in the name of the commission.



C.
Any person aggrieved by the alleged offensive name may intervene in such an action.



D.
In no such action brought by the commission shall any injunction bond be required; nor shall damages be assessed for the wrongful issuance of an injunction.



E.
If the court finds that a place has an offensive name, its judgment shall specify an appropriate remedy. Such remedy shall include an order requiring the municipal officers or county commissioners:


(1)
To initiate procedures, which may be described in the order, for changing the name of the place, and


(2)
To have completed the change of name and the notification as required in Title 1, section 1104 , within 90 days of the issuance of the order.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Maine law under 5 M.R.S. § 4632 establishes a process for addressing place names deemed offensive under the state's definition in Title 1, section 1101. Anyone — including commission staff — may file a complaint, triggering a preliminary investigation. If the commission determines a name is offensive and cannot reach a voluntary agreement with local officials to change it, the matter may be escalated to a civil action in Superior Court, which can order a name change to be completed within 90 days.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

While 5 M.R.S. § 4632 is not a landlord-tenant provision in the traditional sense, property owners whose holdings include or are associated with a place name subject to complaint should be aware that local municipal officers or county commissioners may be ordered to initiate and complete a name change. Operators of properties in affected areas generally stay informed of any commission proceedings that could affect their address or property records. Keeping track of any Superior Court orders issued under § 4632 helps ensure that business records, leases, and correspondence reflect any officially changed place names.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Tenants living in areas where a place name may be considered offensive under Maine law have standing under 5 M.R.S. § 4632 to file a complaint with the commission or, if a civil action is filed in Superior Court, to intervene as an aggrieved person. The provision's process — from preliminary investigation through potential court-ordered name change — is designed to be accessible without requiring the complainant to initiate litigation themselves. Tenants who believe a place name affecting their address qualifies as offensive under Title 1, section 1101 may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid resource to understand how the complaint and intervention processes work.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Expression #1
Oct 21, 2026
Current
Oct 21, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 1, § 1101
Not yet ingested
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 1, § 1104
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4630
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4581-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4632
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4622
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4613
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4551
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 337
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4630
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4553-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4581-A
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4632
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4622
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4613
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4612
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4611
Me. Rev. Stat. § 4614
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4551

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Source Information

Source:https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec4632.html
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