A Class C crime in Maine is a mid-level felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. It sits in the middle of Maine’s five-tier system and covers offenses that are serious but fall short of the state’s top felony grades, including burglary, mid-range thefts, and certain drug crimes. A conviction also carries consequences that outlast the sentence, from a lifetime firearm ban to a permanent felony record.
Where Class C Fits in Maine’s Felony System
Maine’s criminal code, Title 17-A, sorts every crime except murder into five classes, A through E, with A being the most serious.1Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 4 – Classification of Crimes in This Code Classes A, B, and C are felonies; D and E are misdemeanors. Class C is the lowest felony tier, but it is still a felony, and Maine courts and background-check systems treat it as one.
Offenses Charged as Class C
Class C covers a broad slice of the criminal code. The offenses below come up most often.
Burglary
Entering or secretly remaining in a structure without permission, with the intent to commit any crime inside, is burglary and a Class C offense.2Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 401 – Burglary Prosecutors do not need to prove you actually carried out the crime you intended. Unlawful entry plus criminal intent is enough.
Theft
Theft of property valued between $1,000 and $10,000 is a Class C crime.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 17-A 353 – Theft by Unauthorized Taking or Transfer The same range applies to theft of services.4Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 357 – Theft of Services Below $1,000, theft drops to a lower class; above $10,000, it escalates to a Class B felony.
Drug Offenses
Possessing certain Schedule W drugs above set weight thresholds is a Class C crime. For cocaine, the threshold is more than 2 grams. For heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methamphetamine, or fentanyl powder, it is more than 200 milligrams.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1107-A – Unlawful Possession of Scheduled Drugs On the trafficking side, selling Schedule X drugs or trafficking more than one pound of marijuana is also charged at Class C.6Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1103 – Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs
Assault Charges That Land at Class C
Aggravated assault itself is not a Class C crime in Maine; every form of aggravated assault is charged at Class A or Class B.7Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 17-A 208 – Aggravated Assault Certain specialized assault charges do fall here. Assaulting an emergency medical services provider while they are delivering care is a Class C crime.8Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 752-C – Assault on an Emergency Medical Services Person Domestic violence assault, ordinarily a Class D misdemeanor, can also be elevated to Class C when a dangerous weapon is involved.
Other Common Class C Charges
Several other offenses sit at this level, including aggravated OUI with two or more prior convictions, aggravated criminal mischief, and forms of gross sexual assault involving abuse of authority, such as a therapist exploiting a patient or a school employee exploiting a student.9Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 253 – Gross Sexual Assault
Penalties for a Class C Conviction
Sentencing can include prison, fines, probation, or a combination. Judges have real discretion within the statutory limits, and outcomes turn on the specific offense and the defendant’s background.
Prison
The maximum prison term for a Class C crime is five years, unless a specific statute sets a different cap.10Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 17-A 1604 – Imprisonment for Crimes Other Than Murder That is a ceiling, not a floor. First-time defendants often receive substantially less. Judges also have the option of a split sentence, where part of the term is served in custody and the rest is suspended with conditions.
Fines and Restitution
The maximum fine for a Class C conviction is $5,000.11Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1704 – Maximum Fine Amounts Authorized for Convicted Persons The court weighs a defendant’s ability to pay and any financial gain from the crime. Restitution to the victim can also be ordered, and it is a separate obligation on top of the fine.12Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 2006 – Time and Method of Restitution
Probation
Probation can be ordered as part of a suspended sentence or a split sentence.13Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1502 – Authorized Sentences For a Class C crime, the standard maximum probation term is two years. It extends to four years in domestic violence cases where the victim is a family member, household member, or dating partner.14Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 17-A 1804 – Period of Probation; Modification; Termination and Discharge Standard conditions include reporting to a probation officer, maintaining employment, avoiding drugs and excessive alcohol, and committing no new offenses.15Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1807 – Conditions of Probation Violating a condition can trigger revocation and imposition of the suspended prison time.
Life After a Class C Conviction
The sentence a judge imposes is only part of what you are looking at. A Class C felony carries collateral consequences that follow the conviction indefinitely.
Firearms
Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by one year or more in prison is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under Maine law. Because Class C crimes carry up to five years, every Class C conviction triggers this ban. Violating it is itself a Class B crime, punishable by up to ten years in prison.16Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 15 393 – Possession of Firearms Prohibited for Certain Persons A permit process exists to potentially restore firearm rights, but the bar is high.
Your Criminal Record
Maine does not offer expungement; a criminal record is never fully erased. As of August 2024, the state allows sealing of certain records, but eligibility is narrow, limited to current or former Class E crimes and certain pre-2017 marijuana offenses.17State of Maine Judicial Branch. Sealing Your Criminal Record Class C felonies are not eligible. Under current law, there is no path to sealing or expunging a Class C conviction.
Employment and Housing
A felony shows up on background checks, and most employers and landlords run them. Maine has protections for workers in certain regulated industries; employers in those sectors must follow a structured process for deciding whether a disqualifying offense is relevant to the position, considering the nature of the crime, how much time has passed, and whether the conduct was job-related.18Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 22 9054 – Background Check Center; Procedures Outside those industries, the practical barriers remain significant.
Voting
One consequence that does not apply: Maine never suspends voting rights for a felony conviction. You can vote while incarcerated, while on probation, and after release. There is no restoration process because the right is never taken away.19National Conference of State Legislatures. Restoration of Voting Rights for Felons Only Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia work this way.20Vote.gov. Voting After a Felony Conviction
Federal Programs and Travel
A Class C drug felony can disqualify you from TSA PreCheck and similar trusted traveler programs. TSA maintains two lists of disqualifying offenses: permanent bars for crimes such as terrorism and espionage, and interim bars for offenses like drug distribution, robbery, and fraud that disqualify applicants for seven years after conviction or five years after release from incarceration, whichever is later.21Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors Commercial driver’s licenses can also be affected: felonies involving drug trafficking or the use of a commercial vehicle in a crime can disqualify a CDL holder. A felony alone does not usually block a passport, though people on supervised release typically need permission to travel internationally, and outstanding warrants or child support arrears above $2,500 can block issuance.
Mitigation and Alternative Sentencing
Mitigating factors do not erase a conviction, but they can meaningfully reduce a sentence. A clean record, cooperation with law enforcement, voluntary treatment, and personal circumstances such as mental health challenges all give a judge reason to sentence near the low end of the range. Pre-sentence investigation reports matter here, because they give the court a fuller picture of the person behind the charge.
For non-violent Class C offenses, Maine courts sometimes use restorative justice approaches focused on repairing harm rather than purely punishing the offender. These can involve mediation between the offender and victim, community service, or structured restitution agreements. Alternative sentencing programs targeting substance abuse or mental health can also replace or supplement incarceration when the crime was driven by addiction or untreated illness. Eligibility depends on the offense and on the defendant’s willingness to comply with program requirements. Courts are increasingly willing to use these options for the right candidates.