The short answer
| Item | Maine answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $33, flat. |
| Deadline | 30 days. |
| Late title | $50, flat and one time. |
| Tax | 5.5% sales tax, plus a yearly excise tax at your town office. |
| Plates | Stay with the owner, not the car. |
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Maine?
The title is the document that proves who owns the car. In Maine it costs $33. The same $33 covers a first title, a title after a sale, a corrected title and a duplicate. It also covers noting a lien (the lender's claim on the car) on a first title.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title | $33 |
| Rush service | +$10 |
| Recording a lien on a title that already exists | $33 |
| Duplicate title by mail or in person (Form MVT-8) | $33 |
| Duplicate title online | $46 ($33 + $10 rush + $3 service charge) |
| Late title penalty | $50 |
| Registration, passenger car | $35 a year |
| Moving your plates to another car, same registration year | $8 |
Titles are required for vehicles 25 years old and newer. Older vehicles change hands on a bill of sale.
Worked example: $30,000 car in its first model year, $30,000 sticker price
- Sales tax: 5.5% of $30,000 = $1,650.00
- Excise tax (year 1): $24 per $1,000 of the $30,000 sticker price = $720.00
- Title: $33.00
- Registration (one year): $35.00
Total: $2,438.00.
The Maine calculator below starts from the same $2,438.00.
Age matters more than anything else in Maine. The same car in year 6 or later owes only $120 excise tax, and the total drops to $1,838.00.
What is Maine's excise tax?
The excise tax is a yearly tax you pay at the town office where you live, before you can register. The money stays with your town. It's based on the car's MSRP (its original sticker price when new), not what you paid. The rate falls as the car ages, and steps down each January 1:
| Car's year | Per $1,000 of MSRP | On a $30,000 MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (current model year) | $24.00 | $720 |
| Year 2 | $17.50 | $525 |
| Year 3 | $13.50 | $405 |
| Year 4 | $10.00 | $300 |
| Year 5 | $6.50 | $195 |
| Year 6 and later | $4.00 | $120 |
The minimum is $5. For a new car the town needs the window sticker (or a copy) to set the tax. Your town may add a small agent fee for processing; there is no statewide amount, so we don't print one.
How many days do you have to transfer a title in Maine?
Your title paperwork must reach the Secretary of State within 30 days. Late filing costs a flat $50, one time. It doesn't grow.
The title application (Form MVT-2) isn't online. Pick it up at a BMV branch, town hall or municipal office.
Maine sales tax on a car
- Rate: 5.5% of the purchase price.
- Private sales: the seller collects nothing. You pay the 5.5% as use tax when you register, on the Use Tax Certificate (Form STMV 6U).
- Trade-ins: you pay tax only on the difference, but only when you trade a vehicle of the same kind (a car for a car).
Family sales and gifts
Maine is stricter than most states here:
- No family-sale exemption. A sale is taxed even between a husband and wife. Buying out a co-owner's share is taxed too.
- A true gift is tax-free, to anyone, when nothing is paid.
- Taking over the loan counts as payment. If you take over the other person's car loan, the transfer is taxed.
- Divorce and wills: a transfer under a divorce decree, or to a beneficiary under a will, isn't taxed.
The title, registration and excise tax still apply. Only the sales tax drops away.
Plates and registration
Registration for a passenger car is $35 a year, plus the excise tax.
Plates stay with the owner. The seller keeps them and can put them on another vehicle in the same registration year for $8. The seller's registration fee is credited toward the next car: the full fee in the first 8 months of the registration year, up to half in the last 4 months. You register in your own name and get your own plates.
Electric and hybrid cars
Maine has no extra fee for electric or hybrid cars. They pay the same $35 registration as any car.
New residents
- Deadline: 30 days after you become a Maine resident to switch your title and registration.
- Excise tax first, at your new town office.
- Sales tax: a car you already owned and registered in another state isn't taxed again when you show its registration. You get credit for sales tax already paid to another state.
- The $33 title and registration fees apply as usual.
What documents do you need?
- From a dealer: the bill of sale, the title application, proof of insurance, and the registration and excise tax receipt copies.
- Private sale: a signed bill of sale, the title signed over to you, proof of insurance, and the same receipt copies.
What this guide doesn't cover
Town agent fees (they vary), inspection fees, motorcycles and trucks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Maine?
The title is $33. You also pay 5.5% sales tax, the excise tax at your town office and $35 registration. A $30,000 car in its first year comes to $2,438.
How long do I have to transfer a title in Maine?
30 days. After that a flat $50 penalty applies, one time.
How is Maine excise tax calculated?
It's the car's original sticker price (MSRP) times a rate that falls with age: $24 per $1,000 in year 1, down to $4 per $1,000 from year 6. The minimum is $5.
Do I pay sales tax on a car from a family member in Maine?
Yes, if you pay for it, even between a husband and wife. Only a true gift with nothing paid is tax-free. Taking over the loan counts as payment.
Does Maine charge an EV fee?
No. Maine has no extra registration fee for electric or hybrid cars.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Maine fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Excise tax (town office)24 mills x MSRP (year 1)$720.00
- Registration fee$35.00
- Title fee$33.00
- Sales tax5.5% of price$1,650.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $560.00/yr
5-year total: not shown, because the excise tax drops each year for six years.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Maine car registration fee calculator page.
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A § 603 ($33 title fees, $10 rush, $50 penalty after 30 days)
- Maine Revenue Services – Excise Tax (mill rates by year, MSRP basis, paid at your town office)
- Maine BMV – Register a Passenger Vehicle (documents, 5.5% sales tax, new residents 30 days) (cited by name, not linked)
- Maine BMV – Types of Title Certificates, and Frequently Asked Questions – Titles (cited by name, not linked)
- Maine Revenue Services – Instructional Bulletin No. 42, Original Registration of Vehicles (casual sales, family sales, gifts, credits) (cited by name, not linked)
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A §§ 501 ($35 registration), 502 ($8 plate transfer) and 651-A (electronic liens) (cited by name, not linked)
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36 §§ 1482 (excise schedule, $5 minimum) and 1765 (trade-in credit) (cited by name, not linked)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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