If the vehicle is purchased from a Maine auto dealer, the dealer will furnish you with 

 the blue copy of the title application which must be presented at the time of your first 

 registration. If the vehicle was not purchased from a Maine auto dealer, a title 

 application must be completed by you and submitted with the prior certificate of 

 title or manufacturer’s certificate of origin, properly transferred to you.

If you are the owner and have no lien holder you will receive the title. If you have 

 borrowed money to pay for the car, the bank or credit union that lent you the money 

 will get the title

Where do I keep the certificate of title? 

In a safe place; never in the vehicle 

Any motor vehicles that are more than 15 years old, motorcycles with an engine size 

 less than 300 cc and trailers with an unladen weight of 3,000 pounds or less.

What should I do if my title is stolen, lost, destroyed or mutilated? 

You should make application at once for a duplicate title. Send in your mutilated or 

 illegible Certificate of Title with the application and proper fee. 

Payment of the excise tax to a municipal tax collector is the first step in registering 

 your motor vehicle. An excise tax must be paid on all types of vehicle except semi- 

 trailers. The amount of excise tax due depends upon the age and factory list price of 

 the vehicle being registered. The excise tax receipt, in turn, serves as your registration 

 application. The back of the white copy of the registration must be completed and 

 signed before a registration can be issued. If you are under 18 years of age, your 

 parent or guardian must also sign the application

Where are motor vehicle registrations issued? 

After payment of the excise tax, your registration and plates may be obtained by 

 visiting any of the Motor Vehicle Branch Offices listed on the inside cover of this 

 manual or by mailing your application and the correct fee to the Bureau of Motor 

 Vehicles, 29 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333. Most Maine municipalities 

 issue registrations and plates as well. Check with your municipality to see if they are 

 a participant in the state’s municipal agent program

The registration fee for a passenger vehicle is $35.00. A registration remains valid for 

 one year from the month it is issued. The fee for pick up trucks with a gross vehicle 

 weight of 6,000 pounds is also $35.00. The registration fee for larger trucks increases 

 with the registered gross weight.

At the time of first registration, an application for title must be submitted for a vehicle 

 that is less than 15 years old or newer. 

When registering any vehicle for the first time in Maine your registration application 

 must be accompanied by a “Use Tax Certificate”. This form is used to determine if 

 any Maine sales tax is due. Any sales tax due must be paid at the time of first 

 registration. These forms may be obtained from any Bureau of Motor Vehicles Office 

 or from a municipal tax collector. If the vehicle to be registered was purchased from a 

 Maine auto dealer, the dealer will furnish you with the sales tax form, which must be 

 presented at the time of first registration.

Maine law requires that a Maine motor vehicle registration must be applied for within 

 30 days if residence in the state of Maine is declared or established. 

These inspections must be done at an official 

inspection station once a year.