Wheel ScoutWhat a Maine plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the Maine plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What a Maine plate looks like, and the Pine Tree change
A Maine car carries two plates, front and rear. State law (29-A M.R.S. §452) requires a plate on both ends of each vehicle, with exceptions for motorcycles and trailers (rear only) and truck tractors (front only). Type the plate without spaces; we find the car.
The standard plate changed in 2025. On May 1, 2025 the Bureau of Motor Vehicles began issuing the Pine Tree plate and stopped issuing the Chickadee plate. The legislature had ordered every Chickadee plate replaced because the old plates had become worn and hard to read.
- Two designs. The Pine Tree plate shows a pine tree and the North Star. Passenger cars can also choose a plain "No Tree" plate with blue and green text and no image.
- Swapped at renewal. About 1.2 million Chickadee plates, 71% of all plates in Maine, were set to be replaced over a single year as owners re-registered. The new plates come at no charge with a new number. Keeping the old number costs a one-time $25.
- The deadline has passed. The BMV said all Chickadee plates would be out of service by May 2026. A car still wearing Chickadee plates late in 2026 is worth a question about its registration.
In a sale between two people the plates stay with the seller. A Maine registration expires when the car is sold, and the seller may ask to have the plates and registration number put on another vehicle in their name. The buyer registers the car with new plates, starting at the town office.
Maine title brands: what the lookup can show
Maine brands a title when a car has been badly damaged. Our $5 report reads the car's NMVTIS record, the national title database that every state's titling agency reports to, so a brand from Maine or any other state shows up.
| Salvage | A car damaged by collision, fire, flood, accident, trespass or anything else so badly that the repair cost plus its salvage value exceeds what it was worth before the damage. The insurer must apply for a certificate of salvage within 30 days of settling the claim. An owner who keeps a salvage car must get one before selling it, unless it goes to a licensed recycler. Application form MVT-102, $33, with an optional $10 rush fee. |
|---|---|
| Rebuilt salvage | The title legend for a salvage car rebuilt with 5 or more component parts replaced. |
| Rebuilt | The legend for a salvage car rebuilt with at least one but fewer than 5 component parts replaced. |
| Repaired | The legend Maine requires on the title of a repaired salvage car. |
| Salvage (parts only) | The legend for a vehicle with no value except its basic materials or parts. |
| Junk | The BMV uses this notation when repair costs exceed 75% of the car's value before the damage. The vehicle is generally not roadworthy. |
What a rebuilder has to do. Under 29-A M.R.S. §667 a repaired or rebuilt salvage car can only be titled, registered or offered for sale in Maine after its identification numbers are inspected and verified, with a new number assigned if needed. The rebuilder must tell the next owner in writing that the car was salvage and what repairs were made. Maine can also refuse to title a car declared salvage in another state.
The Maine quirk: older cars have no title. Maine requires a title only for recent model years. As of January 1, 2026 that means model year 2001 or newer; on January 1, 2027 the cutoff moves to 2002. An older car changes hands in Maine on a bill of sale alone, so there is no Maine title to carry a brand. On those cars the national record and your own inspection carry more weight.
What a Maine title transfer costs
Buying from an individual, you pay twice: first the excise tax at your town office, then sales tax and fees with the registration. Amounts are from the BMV, Maine Revenue Services and state law.
| Excise tax | A local tax for the right to drive on Maine roads, paid at the town office where you live before you can register. It is based on the car's MSRP and age, not the price you paid: 24 mills per dollar of MSRP for the current model year, then 17.5, 13.5, 10, 6.5, and 4 mills for the sixth year and later. The rates step down every January 1. Maine Revenue Services' example: a 3-year-old car with a $19,500 MSRP pays $263.25. The minimum is $5. |
|---|---|
| Sales tax | 5.5% of the purchase price. |
| Title fee | $33 for cars 25 model years old and newer (application form MVT-2), with an optional $10 rush fee. |
| Registration | $35 a year for a passenger plate. Vanity plates are $25 more at a BMV branch. |
| Keeping a plate number | $25, one time, during the Pine Tree swap. |
| Duplicate title | $33 on form MVT-8, with an optional $10 rush. |
The excise tax is the surprise for people new to Maine. It is figured from the car's original MSRP, not the price you paid, and you pay it again every year at renewal. Ask the town office for a quote by VIN before you agree on a price.
Maine forms and deadlines
| Bill of sale | A signed bill of sale is required for every car. The BMV publishes a bill of sale form. |
|---|---|
| The title | For models 25 years old and newer, the title signed over from the seller to you. Check that any lien on it is released. |
| Proof of insurance | Required to register. |
| Where to go | Pay the excise tax at your town office first. If the town office issues registrations, you can finish there. If it doesn't, take the white and yellow copies of the registration application and the excise tax receipt to a BMV branch. |
| Title application | Form MVT-2, $33. The BMV's Title Unit in Augusta handles questions. |
| VIN inspection | The Vehicle Identification Number Inspection Form, MVT-10, is the BMV's form for a VIN check when one is needed. |
| If something goes wrong | The BMV's Enforcement Services Division takes complaints about sales between individuals on form MVI-27, along with title fraud and odometer fraud. The form must be printed and mailed with its supporting documents. |
The BMV's Used Car Buyer's Guide is written for dealer sales and says so; it does not cover a car bought from another person. The dealer rules in it, such as a fresh inspection sticker, are not owed to you by an individual seller. Ask for them anyway.
Inspections in Maine
Maine requires an annual safety inspection for every motor vehicle that has to be registered in the state. Licensed stations check the body, brakes, exhaust, glass, horn, lights and signals, mirrors, reflectors, running gear, seat belts on 1966 and later models, steering, tires, wipers, and the catalytic converter and filler neck on 1983 and later models.
| Cumberland County | Cars registered in Cumberland County get an enhanced inspection every year: the regular inspection plus the gas cap on 1974 and later gasoline cars and the on-board diagnostic system on 1996 and later models. |
|---|---|
| Fees | A station may charge up to $12.50 for a regular inspection. In Cumberland County the cap is $15.50 for pre-1996 cars and $18.50 for 1996 and later. You pay whether the car passes or not. |
| Stickers | The State Police sell the stickers to stations for $2.50 each. |
| Coming in 2027 | Starting January 1, 2027, large rental fleets (700 or more cars) can get two-year inspections. Everyone else stays on the annual inspection. |
A current sticker only tells you the car passed that checklist on one day. Ask when it was issued, and pay a mechanic of your choice to look at rust underneath, frame rails and brake lines before you buy.
Before you meet a Maine seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before any deposit. Then match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you.
- Match the VIN on the dashboard, the driver's door sticker, the title and the bill of sale.
- Check the model year against the title rule. A 2001 or newer car needs a title in 2026. If the seller only offers a bill of sale for one of those, stop.
- Match the name on the title to the seller's ID, and check for an unreleased lien.
- Read the title for a legend: rebuilt salvage, rebuilt, repaired or salvage. A rebuilder must disclose it in writing.
- Get an excise quote from your town office by VIN so the total cost isn't a surprise.
- Look at the plates and the sticker. Chickadee plates after May 2026 or an expired inspection sticker are both questions to ask.
Where these Maine facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- Maine BMV: Register a passenger vehicle
- Maine BMV: Titles (model year requirement)
- Maine BMV: Types of title certificates
- Maine Secretary of State: Pine Tree plates begin replacing Chickadee plates
- Maine Revenue Services: Excise tax brochure
- Maine Legislature: 29-A §667, salvage vehicles
- Maine Legislature: 29-A §1751, motor vehicle inspection
- Maine Legislature: 29-A §452, display of registration plates
- Maine BMV: Pine Tree plate
- Maine Legislature: 29-A §463, disposition of registration plates
- Maine Legislature: 36 §1482, excise tax rates
- Maine BMV: Used Car Buyer's Guide
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for Maine plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Maine license plate lookup questions
How do I look up a Maine license plate?
Type the plate above with Maine selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Maine?
The title fee is $33 for cars 25 model years old and newer. You also pay the local excise tax at your town office, Maine's 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price, and $35 a year for registration.
How is Maine's excise tax calculated?
It's the car's MSRP times a rate that falls with age: 24 mills (2.4%) in the current model year, then 17.5, 13.5, 10, 6.5 and 4 mills from the sixth year on. It's paid at your town office every year before registration, and the minimum is $5.
Does Maine require a vehicle inspection?
Yes, every year, at a licensed station. The fee is capped at $12.50, or up to $18.50 for the enhanced inspection required in Cumberland County, and you pay it whether the car passes or not.
What do rebuilt and repaired mean on a Maine title?
They are legends on a former salvage car. Rebuilt salvage means 5 or more component parts were replaced, Rebuilt means 1 to 4, and Repaired is the legend for a repaired salvage car. The rebuilder must disclose the salvage history in writing.
Which cars need a title in Maine?
As of January 1, 2026, model year 2001 and newer. The cutoff moves to 2002 on January 1, 2027. Older cars are sold on a bill of sale alone.
Can I find the owner of a Maine plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in state motor vehicle records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in Maine?
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), part of the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, issues titles and plates. Your town office collects the excise tax and often handles the registration.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).