Registering a Vehicle in Maine

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Maine vehicle registration runs through a two-counter system: the town or city office in your municipality of residence handles the standard registration and collects the annual excise tax, while the Maine BMV handles the certificate of title and any salvage or rebuilt-title work. Most Maine drivers start at the town office for routine registration and visit a BMV branch only for title issues. The state gives new arrivals a 30-day window to complete the registration after establishing residency.

When you need to register

You must register a vehicle in Maine when you:

Move to Maine and establish residency (30-day window).
Buy a vehicle from a dealer (the dealer typically handles temporary plates and may submit the title work).
Buy a vehicle from a private party (you have 30 days to transfer title and register).
Inherit a vehicle whose previous owner was a Maine resident.
Take a long-stored or rebuilt vehicle out of "non-use" status.

Documents to bring

For a new registration, walk into your town or city office with:

The current title, properly assigned by the seller, or the manufacturer's statement of origin if the vehicle is new.
A bill of sale showing the purchase price (used to calculate sales tax).
An odometer disclosure for vehicles less than 20 years old.
Proof of Maine insurance meeting the 50/100/25 + MedPay + UM minimums.
Maine driver's license or photo ID.
Lien information if a finance company holds title.
A current Maine safety inspection sticker (must be obtained within 60 days of registration).

Forms used

The two forms you'll see most often:

MV-7 — Application for Certificate of Title.
MV-1 — Application for Registration.

The town office staff typically prepares both forms at the counter from the documents you bring. The MV-7 is then forwarded to the BMV for title processing; the MV-1 stays at the town office for the registration database.

Sales tax and the 5.5% rate

Maine charges 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price of vehicles bought from a private party or out-of-state seller. Dealers typically collect the tax at sale; private-party tax is collected by the town office at registration. Spouse-to-spouse transfers, parent-to-child gifts, and most inheritance transfers are exempt with proper documentation. If you paid sales tax in another state where the vehicle was purchased before the move to Maine, the state credits the out-of-state amount up to the Maine rate; bring the receipt or registration showing tax paid.

The annual excise tax

Maine's excise tax is one of the most distinctive features of registering a vehicle in the state. Each municipality levies an annual excise tax on every registered vehicle based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) when the vehicle was new. The tax declines each year on a published schedule:

Year 1: 24 mills per dollar of MSRP.
Year 2: 17.5 mills.
Year 3: 13.5 mills.
Year 4: 10 mills.
Year 5: 6.5 mills.
Year 6 and beyond: 4 mills.

For a $30,000 new vehicle, that's a first-year excise of $720, dropping over time. The tax is paid to the town or city, not the state, and funds local roads and public services.

Title and registration fees

Maine title fee is $33, paid to the BMV when the title is issued. The standard registration fee for a passenger vehicle is paid annually to the town. Specialty plates carry an additional fee that's split between BMV and the sponsoring program.

New residents

Anyone moving to Maine has 30 days to register vehicles after establishing residency. To register a vehicle from another state, bring the out-of-state title (or a current registration card if the title is held by an out-of-state lender), proof of insurance meeting Maine's 50/100/25 + MedPay + UM minimums, an odometer reading, and a VIN inspection if the title doesn't show a recent verification. Many town offices require a current Maine safety inspection sticker within 60 days of registration.

Plates and stickers

Maine issues two-plate registration for most passenger vehicles. Standard plates use the Chickadee design unless the registrant chooses a specialty plate (university, conservation, military, hobbyist, lobster). The Maine state vehicle registration sticker affixes to the windshield, and the town-office receipt is the proof of current registration that should ride along in the glovebox with your proof of insurance.