A Class E misdemeanor is the lowest-level criminal offense in Maine’s misdemeanor system, punishable by up to six months in a county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1604 – Imprisonment for Crimes Other Than Murder2Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1704 – Maximum Fine Amounts Authorized for Convicted Persons Very few states use letter grades that reach all the way down to E. If you’re facing one of these charges, you’re almost certainly dealing with Maine’s criminal code, where misdemeanors split into Class D (the more serious, up to one year in jail) and Class E (the least serious).3National Conference of State Legislatures. Brief Misdemeanor Sentencing Trends The federal code and most other states stop at Class A, B, or C.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses
What Counts as a Class E Offense
Class E covers conduct that causes relatively low harm or risk and involves no allegation of violence against another person. Disorderly conduct is one of the most common charges in this category. Fighting in public, making unreasonable noise, or blocking traffic can all fall here.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 501-A – Disorderly Conduct Other typical Class E charges include driving on a suspended license, theft of goods worth under $1,000, low-level drug possession, and online harassment.
The Penalties
A conviction exposes you to two punishments:
- Up to six months in a county jail (not a state prison).
- A fine of up to $1,000.
Judges rarely impose the full six months on a first offense. Probation, community service, and mandatory educational programs are far more common when the defendant has no prior record. A sentence might combine a small fine with a period of probation and no jail time at all. Judges have broad discretion to mix these tools.
When a Weapon Changes the Picture
If prosecutors prove you committed a Class E offense while using a dangerous weapon, the charge is bumped up one level to Class D. That doubles the exposure: up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.6Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1604 – Imprisonment for Crimes Other Than Murder – Section: Circumstances Elevating Class of Crime
You Have the Right to a Lawyer
Because a Class E charge carries potential jail time, the Sixth Amendment entitles you to legal representation. The Supreme Court has held that no one can be sentenced to imprisonment, even for a minor offense, unless they had access to counsel at trial.7Congress.gov. Sixth Amendment – Modern Doctrine on Right to Have Counsel Appointed If you can’t afford a private attorney, the court must appoint one before imposing any sentence that includes jail time, a suspended sentence, or probation. The deciding factor isn’t whether the charge is a felony or misdemeanor; it’s whether you face actual incarceration.
What a Conviction Follows You Into
The fine and any jail time end. The record doesn’t. A Class E conviction creates a permanent criminal record that reaches into parts of your life the courtroom never addresses.
Jobs and Background Checks
Under federal law, criminal convictions are reportable on background checks indefinitely. The seven-year cutoff that applies to arrests without conviction doesn’t apply here. Any employer running a standard background check can see a misdemeanor conviction regardless of how long ago it happened. “Ban the box” laws in some states keep the question off initial applications, but the conviction still surfaces later in the hiring process.
Professional Licenses
Licensing boards for healthcare, education, real estate, and other regulated professions run their own background investigations. They operate independently of the criminal courts, so even if a judge closed your case with probation, a licensing board can open disciplinary proceedings and suspend, restrict, or revoke your license based on the same conduct. Some boards act on an arrest alone, without waiting for a conviction.
Traveling to Canada
Canada evaluates visitors based on the Canadian equivalent of their offense, not how the U.S. classified it. If the Canadian version of your misdemeanor qualifies as an indictable or hybrid offense, you can be turned away at the border years after the case closed. A single non-violent misdemeanor may eventually qualify you for entry ten years after you complete your entire sentence, including probation and fines. DUI convictions are the hardest case: Canada reclassified impaired driving as a serious crime in 2018, so even one can bar entry without special permission.
Clearing the Conviction From Your Record
In Maine, you can petition to seal a Class E conviction four years after you fully complete your sentence. That means jail time served, fines paid, probation finished, and any other court-ordered conditions satisfied.8Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 15 2262 – Statutory Prerequisites for Sealing Criminal History Record Information You also can’t pick up any other convictions or pending charges during that waiting period.
Some states have gone further with “Clean Slate” laws that automate sealing for qualifying low-level offenses. As of 2025, roughly a dozen states and Washington, D.C. have enacted some form of automatic sealing. These laws generally exclude violent crimes, sex offenses, and DUIs, but most Class E-level conduct falls within the eligible categories. If you were convicted somewhere with a Clean Slate statute, check whether your offense qualifies; the sealing may happen without you filing anything.
Once a record is sealed, it’s hidden from most private background checks, including those run by employers and landlords. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts can still see it, but for the searches that affect daily life, the conviction effectively disappears.