The translation certificate is a form of the Maine Secretary of State's Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), printed under the title Certificate of Translation, on which a translator certifies that an English translation of a foreign-language document is true and accurate. It serves people applying for a Maine driver license or state identification card who prove legal presence in the United States with a document that is not in English. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the BMV at the official link.
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What is Translation Certificate – Maine?
The Translation Certificate (printed on the form as Certificate of Translation) is a Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles form in which the person who translated a foreign-language document states that they are competent to translate it and that the translation is true and accurate.
The BMV is part of the Maine Secretary of State. Its instructions on the form explain the setting: individuals applying for a Maine driver license or state identification card must establish that they are lawfully present in the United States. When a document submitted as documentary evidence of legal presence is in any language other than English, a complete written English translation of the document and the Certificate of Translation must accompany the foreign-language document.
In the certificate, the translator names the language in which they are fluent, describes the document translated, gives its certificate number or other identifying number, and names the applicant and the applicant's date of birth. The translator also acknowledges a warning: a false statement is Unsworn Falsification, a criminal offense under 17-A M.R.S.A. Section 453, and a class "D" crime.
The form is completed by the translator, not by the applicant, and it is not a license or ID application. It only supports a foreign-language document that is submitted with one.
Who needs to file Translation Certificate – Maine?
The person who translates the document completes this certificate. The form is aimed at the translator and at the applicant who receives it.
- Applicants for a Maine driver license or state identification card who submit a document in a language other than English as documentary evidence of legal presence in the United States need the translation and the certificate to accompany that document.
- Translators prepare the certificate. The instructions to the translator say to provide a complete printed or typed English translation of the foreign document to the applicant, complete, sign and date the certificate and give it to the applicant, and keep a copy of the translated document and the certificate.
The certificate covers one described document for one named applicant. The form says nothing about documents already in English, which need no translation under these instructions, and it does not describe any representative signing for the translator: the translator signs and prints their own name.
When to file Translation Certificate – Maine
The certificate is needed whenever a document in a language other than English is submitted as documentary evidence of legal presence in the United States with an application for a Maine driver license or state identification card. It must accompany the foreign-language document and the complete English translation at that time.
The form prints no separate deadline. The translator completes, signs and dates it before giving it to the applicant, so it is prepared before the license or ID application package is put together. A new certificate is needed for each document translated, because the form describes one document and names one applicant.
Documents you need
- A complete printed or typed English translation of the foreign-language document, prepared by the translator and given to the applicant; it must accompany the certificate.
- The foreign-language document itself, when it is submitted as documentary evidence of legal presence in the United States; the translation and certificate accompany it.
- A copy of the translated document and the certificate, kept by the translator for their records (not sent with the application).
How to fill out Translation Certificate – Maine
Enter the translator's name and language
In the first sentence, write the translator's name on the first blank and the language in which the translator is fluent, in addition to English.
Describe the document translated
On the line after "competent to translate the attached," write a description of the foreign-language document, such as its title or type.
Enter the document's identifying number
Write the certificate number or other identifying number that appears on the document being translated.
Name the applicant
Enter the name of the driver license or ID card applicant to whom the document relates, as it appears in the document.
Enter the applicant's date of birth
Write the applicant's date of birth on the last blank of the certification paragraph.
Read the unsworn falsification statement
Read the paragraph citing 17-A M.R.S.A. Section 453 before signing; it states the translator is subject to prosecution if the statement is untrue and falsely made.
Sign and print the translator's details
The translator signs on the Signature of Translator line, then enters the printed name, address and telephone number.
Add license number, state and date
Complete the Driver License Number And State of Issue line and the Date line in the signature block.
Review, download and give to the applicant
Check every blank against the foreign document, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Give it, with the complete English translation, to the applicant and keep a copy.
How to submit Translation Certificate – Maine
The certificate is not filed on its own: it travels with the foreign-language document and its English translation, which the applicant submits with the driver license or state identification card application to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
- Translator to applicant: the translator gives the signed and dated certificate and the complete printed or typed translation to the applicant, and keeps a copy of both.
- Online: the BMV's forms page says its forms cannot be submitted online. Complete, print and mail them to the address on each document.
- Address printed on the form: Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 101 Hospital Street, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Phone (207)624-9000 ext 52114; TTY users call Maine Relay 711.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the BMV channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a foreign-language document without both the complete English translation and the Certificate of Translation; the instructions require the two to accompany it.
- Providing a partial or handwritten translation when the instructions call for a complete printed or typed English translation.
- Leaving the description of the translated document or its certificate number or other identifying number blank.
- Entering the wrong applicant name or date of birth, when the certificate must identify the individual named in the document.
- Handing the certificate to the applicant without the translator's signature, printed name, address, telephone number and date.
- Certifying a translation the translator does not believe is true: the form warns that a false statement is Unsworn Falsification, a class "D" crime.
- Not keeping a copy of the translated document and certificate, which the translator is told to retain.
- Trying to submit the form online when the BMV says its forms must be printed and mailed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a translation certificate for a Maine driver license?
It is the Certificate of Translation, a Maine BMV form on which a translator certifies that an English translation of a foreign-language document is true and accurate. It accompanies a non-English document submitted as evidence of legal presence with a driver license or ID card application.
Who fills out the Translation Certificate?
The translator completes it, not the applicant. The translator gives the applicant a complete printed or typed English translation, completes, signs and dates the certificate, hands it to the applicant and keeps a copy of both for their own records.
When do I need a translation certificate for the BMV?
When a document you submit as documentary evidence of legal presence in the United States is in a language other than English. The complete English translation and the Certificate of Translation must accompany the foreign-language document.
What happens if the translator makes a false statement?
The form warns that a false statement the translator does not believe is true is Unsworn Falsification under 17-A M.R.S.A. Section 453, a class "D" crime punishable by a fine, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.
Can I submit the translation certificate online to the Maine BMV?
No. The BMV forms page says its forms cannot be submitted online and should be completed, printed and mailed to the address on each document. The certificate also travels with the foreign document and translation as part of your application.
Can I fill out the Translation Certificate online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file or send the certificate to the BMV; it reaches the agency only through the channels described above.
Where is the Maine BMV address on the translation certificate?
The form prints Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 101 Hospital Street, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, with the phone (207)624-9000 ext 52114. TTY users call Maine Relay 711.
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