How to Register an Out-of-State Car in Maine

Registering a car in Maine starts at the town office, not at a state BMV office. Before the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues plates, you pay the vehicle excise tax at the town or city office where you live, and many town offices handle the registration in the same visit. Once you establish residency, you have 30 days to make the switch.

This guide takes the steps in order for a car you already own and are bringing with you: the deadline, the town office visit, the documents, a title held by a lender, the fees, the use tax form, inspection, insurance, your license and your old plates. If the car is coming up from New York, our page on New York to Maine car shipping covers the lane itself. The rules come from the Maine BMV, Maine Revenue Services, the Maine Revised Statutes and the Maine Bureau of Insurance.

When Do You Have to Register Your Car in Maine?

The BMV gives a new resident 30 days after establishing residency to convert an out-of-state registration and title. Title 29-A of the Maine Revised Statutes, the state's motor vehicle law, counts you as a resident once you have declared or established residency in Maine, or have been domiciled there for at least 30 days.

Not everyone who drives in Maine needs Maine plates. Section 109 of Title 29-A says the state's registration and licensing rules do not apply to a nonresident who has complied with the registration and licensing laws of their home state, or to a nonresident student at a Maine school who holds a valid home-state registration and license. The registration exemption covers only noncommercial use. Once Maine is your home, the 30-day window is the one to plan around.

Why Does Registration Start at the Town Office?

Maine collects its vehicle excise tax through municipalities, and the tax has to be paid before the car can be registered. An individual resident pays it where they live, so the first stop is your own town or city office. Many town offices also issue registrations, which lets you handle both in one visit. If yours does not, you pay the excise there and then register the car at a BMV branch office.

The excise is an annual tax based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price when the car was new and on its model year, so for any given car it is highest while the model is newest, then drops over the first several years before leveling off. The town office works out the figure for your car. A Maine registration expires on the last day of the month one year after it was issued, and the excise on a new registration covers one year from the registration date.

What Documents Do You Need to Register an Out-of-State Car?

For a car moving with a new resident, the BMV's Register A Passenger Vehicle page lists these items:

• The out-of-state title. Required for models 25 years old and newer. The BMV's title page puts that at model year 2001 or newer during 2026, and 2002 or newer from January 1, 2027.
• Lienholder details. The name and address of any lender that holds a lien on the car.
• The out-of-state registration certificate. The current registration from the state you are leaving.
• Proof of insurance. Coverage that meets Maine's minimums, listed further down.
• The registration application and excise receipt. White and yellow copies of your registration application and excise tax receipt. The excise receipt comes from paying the tax at the town office.
• A Maine use tax form. The BMV asks for it to prove the car is exempt from sales tax when you present an out-of-state registration.

If you bought the car shortly before the move, the same BMV page has a separate checklist for private and out-of-state dealer purchases, built around a signed bill of sale and a title signed over to you.

What If a Lender Holds Your Title?

If you still owe money on the car, the out-of-state title may be with your lender. The BMV's new resident checklist asks for the name and address of any lienholder, and the BMV's Division of Title Services then writes to that lender on its form MVT-30, asking it to send the out-of-state title. The form tells a lender that stays the lienholder of record not to release the lien. Once the BMV records the lien and owner details, it mails the Maine title to the first lienholder.

If your lender takes part in Maine's Electronic Lien Titling program, it receives an electronic title record instead of a paper certificate. When the loan is paid off and the lender releases the lien electronically, the BMV prints a paper title and mails it to you.

How Much Does It Cost to Register a Car in Maine?

There is no single figure, because the bill has several parts. The BMV charges a $33 title application fee on models 25 years old and newer, and its fee schedule lists $35 for a standard passenger plate. Most specialty plates add $20 to the registration fee when first issued and $15 at each renewal, and a vanity plate adds $25 and is available at BMV branch offices.

The excise is the part that changes most from car to car, since it follows the original sticker price and the model year. Use tax is due only when the car does not qualify for an exemption, which the next section explains.

Do You Owe Maine Sales or Use Tax on a Car You Bring?

Usually not on a car that moves with you. Maine collects use tax when a vehicle bought elsewhere is first registered, which is why the BMV asks for the Use Tax Certificate. On that form, Maine Revenue Services exempts an automobile that you bought and used in another state while you were a permanent legal resident there. Its guidance counts pickups and vans of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less as automobiles for this rule, but not motorcycles, mopeds, motor homes, recreational vehicles, buses, stock cars or autos registered as antiques. For other vehicles, the form requires more than 12 months of use outside Maine, and under the statute, storage does not count as use.

If the car does not qualify, sales or use tax you paid to another state is credited against the Maine tax when you submit the bill of sale, invoice or tax receipt. Where Maine tax is due, the BMV lists the rate at 5.5 percent of the purchase price.

Does Your Car Need a Maine Inspection?

Yes, every year. Maine law requires an annual inspection for a vehicle that has to be registered in the state. You may not need one right away, though. Under section 1752 of Title 29-A, a car registered in Maine that still displays a valid inspection certificate from another state is exempt for one year after the date of that inspection.

Cars registered in Cumberland County, which includes Portland, get an enhanced inspection. It adds a fuel cap check on 1974 and newer gasoline models and an on-board diagnostics check on 1996 and newer models. Stations can charge up to $12.50 for a standard inspection, $15.50 for an enhanced inspection on a pre-1996 model and $18.50 for an enhanced inspection on a 1996 or newer model, and the fee is payable whether the car passes or not.

What Insurance Does Maine Require?

The Maine Bureau of Insurance lists the minimums Maine law requires for anyone who owns or operates a vehicle in the state, and proof of insurance has to be shown to register:

• Bodily injury liability. $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.
• Property damage liability. $25,000. A combined single limit of $125,000 also meets the liability minimum.
• Medical payments. $2,000 per person.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist. $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. If your liability limits are higher, Maine requires this coverage to match them unless you reject the higher limit in writing.

How Do You Transfer Your Driver's License to Maine?

The BMV gives a new resident 30 days to get a Maine license. If you hold a valid out-of-state license, or one that expired within the past five years, you can convert it at a BMV branch office. You prove legal presence, Maine residency and your Social Security number, complete a vision screening, provide your out-of-state license and pay the fees, which depend on the license class. The written and road tests may not be required, and a REAL ID license has additional requirements.

For proof of residency, the BMV accepts documents showing your physical Maine address, such as a utility bill, tax bill, paycheck stub, W-2 or Maine vehicle registration. A standard license needs one document and a REAL ID needs two, and a Maine vehicle registration that shows your physical address can be one of them. The BMV page for new residents covers the rest, including commercial licenses.

What Happens to Your Old Plates?

Maine's steps for new residents do not ask for your old plates, so the state you left decides what happens to them, and it may tie the plates to your insurance. Check that state's rules before you cancel the old policy. For New York movers, the New York DMV wants the plates and registration surrendered before the New York insurance is canceled, and our New York plate surrender guide covers the steps.

How Does Shipping Fit Your Move?

A car shipped to Maine travels on its current plates and registration, so keep both current until the Maine registration is done. Keep the title, the registration certificate and your other papers with you rather than in the car, and hold on to the signed bill of lading.

Rivalane coordinates door to door transport to Maine with licensed, insured carriers. A carrier is typically assigned within one to three working days of booking, and pickup and delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees, so leave room before your 30 days run out. Our pages on shipping a car from New York to Maine and car shipping in Maine cover the lane and deliveries across the state, and the car shipping calculator gives an estimate for the move.

Frequently Asked Questions