What Do I Need for a Maine Title Transfer?
In order to successfully transfer a vehicle’s title in Maine, you need to make sure you have the required documentation. You will need:
- A vehicle title application (Form MVT-2) This form is not available online. Visit your local Maine BMV office to complete the form.
- Bill of sale (click here to download the form)
- Both the buyer and seller of the vehicle should be present
Depending on your situation, you may be required to provide additional information when you visit your local Maine Department of Motor Vehicle (BMV) office.
Smog Certification/Vehicle Inspection
The state of Maine requires smog checks for specific types of vehicles. Some counties in Maine may require more vehicle certifications in addition to the smog check.
Maine Emissions and Smog Check Requirements
There are certain criteria in Maine that require vehicles in this state to have an emissions check performed. If your vehicle falls into one of the following categories, it must pass a smog check:
- New residents of Maine who have not registered their vehicle for the first time (if your vehicle has an inspection sticker from a different state, your vehicle must pass a smog check as soon as the out-of-state smog check sticker expires)
- The Maine smog check sticker is about to expire
- The Maine state police law enforcement orders for your vehicle to pass a smog check
If your vehicle falls into any of these categories, you need to make sure you have a smog check performed on your vehicle to avoid fees and penalties.
Smog Check Exemptions in Maine
Vehicles that are registered in Cumberland County, Maine, and fall into one of the following makes and model years, these vehicles are exempt from passing a vehicle emissions test:
- Motorcycles and mopeds
- Maine-registered antique vehicles
- Vehicles that are driven 1,000 miles or less
- Fish and wood trucks
- Farm tractors
- Island vehicles
- Low-speed vehicles
- Experimental vehicles
- 1996 Subarus (all models)
- 1996-1998 Mitsubishis (all models)
- 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo
- 1996 Chrysler Avenger/Sebring/Talan, Cirrus/Stratus/Breeze, Intrepid/Concord/New Yorker/LHS/Vision, Neon
- Ford medium-heavy duty trucks made between the years of 1996-2003 and weighing more than 8,600 pounds
Make sure you have a smog check performed on your vehicle before the specified deadline. There are no extensions or waivers allowed in the state of Maine.
Smog Check Fees
Vehicles that were made in 1995 and earlier have a smog check fee of $15.50. Vehicles that were made in 1996 or later have a smog check fee of $18.50. If your vehicle fails the smog check, you are still required to pay the smog check fee associated with your vehicle.
Performing Emissions Testing in Maine
Before you head to a state-certified service center, vehicle dealership, or garage to have a safety/emissions test performed, you need to make sure you have the required documents ready. Bring the following with you when you’re having an emissions test performed:
- Driver’s license
- Vehicle registration
- Proof of insurance
To avoid unnecessary fees and penalties, make sure you have the required paperwork before visiting a smog check testing location.
How to Transfer Your Vehicle Title in Maine?
The state of Maine requires its residents to title their vehicle if it is the model year 1995 or newer. When you move to Maine, you are required to title and register your vehicle with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of establishing residency. As a new resident of the Vacationland state, you need to visit your local municipal office and provide:
- Out-of-state vehicle title and registration
- Proof of a valid Maine vehicle insurance policy
- Payment for the applicable title fees and excise tax (you will also be responsible for paying the registration fees at this time).
- Lien holder information (if applicable)
- Completed vehicle title application (must be completed in person at any Maine BMV branch location)
If your local municipal office doesn’t process vehicle titles and registrations, you will be directed to your nearest BMV office. You can also mail the application, the out-of-state vehicle title, and pay the required fees by mail by mailing these documents to:
Title Examination and Information Unit
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
When you have your vehicle titled and registered in Maine, it will need to be inspected. You can receive a permit to complete your vehicle inspection.
Transferring a Title After Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Maine
Buying a Vehicle From a Dealer
When you purchase a vehicle from a dealership in Maine, the dealer usually handles the titling paperwork for you. In the event the dealership doesn’t handle this paperwork, you are responsible for providing:
- The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) for new vehicles, or the vehicle’s title if the vehicle is used
- A vehicle title application (available at your local Maine BMV office)
- Payment for all applicable titling fees and taxes
You can present these documents in person or mail them to the Augusta Title Unit at:
Title Examination and Information Unit
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Before you can register your vehicle, you need to visit your local town office to pay your excise tax.
Transferring the Title of a Financed Vehicle in Maine
If you financed your vehicle, you need to submit a title application, payment, and any other required documents to your lien holder. The lien holder will receive the title and submit all the necessary paperwork to your Maine BMV.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Private Party
When you purchase a vehicle from another individual, it’s considered a purchase from a private party. To transfer the title of a vehicle purchased from a private party, you need to receive these documents from the vehicle’s seller:
- The vehicle title or MCO (only if the vehicle is a 1995 model year or newer). The title must be correctly assigned over to you as the new vehicle owner.
- A bill of sale signed by you and the seller of the vehicle
- Proof of a lien release (if applicable)
- An odometer disclosure statement (this statement can be written on the back of the vehicle’s title or MCO, or you can use a separate Odometer Information Sheet (Form MVT-32)
In addition to the above-stated documents, you will also need these documents:
- Proof of a valid ME vehicle insurance policy
- A complete vehicle title application (available at your local ME BMV office)
- Payment for all applicable taxes and fees owed
Bring these above-mentioned documents to your Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch office or mail them to the BMV’s Title Unit at:
Title Examination and Information Unit
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle You Sold in Maine
When you are selling your vehicle to another individual, the buyer of the vehicle is responsible for transferring the ownership of the vehicle at their local BMV office. As the seller of the vehicle, you are responsible for providing the buyer with the proper documentation and signatures that are needed to complete the vehicle titling process in Maine. You need to complete the following steps:
- Fill out the vehicle title or MCO, and assign ownership of the vehicle to the buyer
- Complete a bill of sale
- Provide the buyer with an odometer disclosure statement (you can write this information on the back of the vehicle’s title, or you can use the BMV Odometer Information Sheet (MVT-32)
- Proof of any lien releases (if applicable) You can’t sell a vehicle within a lien on it in the state of Maine.
How to Transfer a Car Title When the Owner is Deceased?
If you want to keep a vehicle once the owner passes away, and you’re the beneficiary, you need to transfer the vehicle’s title. Also, as the beneficiary, you can choose to sell the vehicle or gift it to a family member.
There are different individuals in this situation who have the authority to transfer the title of a vehicle to someone else once the owner passes away, such as the joint-owner, surviving spouse, or the beneficiary. Before you can initiate the vehicle title transfer in this situation, you need to determine if the vehicle is part of a probated estate.
Another determining factor of how you will proceed with the vehicle title transfer once the vehicle’s owner passes away is if the vehicle’s title was in the person’s name as the descendant or joint ownership. If the vehicle’s title was solely in the descendant’s name, you still need to know if the estate is being probated.
Probates occur when there is no living spouse or beneficiary listed on a will. The probate process proves the last will and testament are legitimate, and during this process, the estate of the deceased individual is administered in various ways depending on the will.
The Probate Court will determine how you should proceed with the person’s belongings.
If the vehicle is part of a probated estate, you need to follow these steps to successfully transfer the vehicle title of a deceased person in Maine:
Contact an Attorney and Probate Court
The vehicle’s title can’t be transferred until the probate is completed. The administrator or executor of the deceased individual’s estate needs to contact an attorney or Probate Court as soon as possible to receive directions on proceeding further in this situation. When the probate is completed, the heir will receive the vehicle. If the executor was given the vehicle, they can choose to sell it.
Gather the Required Documentation
You need to make sure you have the following documentation in order to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual in Maine:
- Certificate of title
- Order from Probate Court to transfer the vehicle
- Odometer disclosure statement
- Death certificate
- Transfer fee
Visit the Title Office
As the administrator of the deceased individual’s estate or the beneficiary of the vehicle, you can visit your local ME title office with the above documentation and initiate the vehicle title transfer process.
How to Transfer a Vehicle Title Without Probate
When it comes to transferring a vehicle’s title without probate in Maine, the individual’s property can’t exceed a certain amount and a specific amount of time needs to pass since the individual passed away before the vehicle title transfer process can be initiated.
If you are an administrator, spouse, beneficiary, or joint owner, you may only be required to present the death certificate in addition to the vehicle’s title at your local title office to have the vehicle’s title retitled. No attorneys or court order is required.
In most cases, when the owner of a vehicle passes away, the vehicle is transferred to the named personal representative, surviving spouse, or other named survivors. To successfully transfer a vehicle title without probate in Maine, you need to:
- Complete an Affidavit of Surviving Spouse or Personal Representative (Form MVT-22)
- Have a copy of the death certificate
- Obtain the vehicle title and current registration
- Submit all documents to your local ME BMV
If you are not the personal representative or spouse of the deceased, you must have a letter from the Probate Court that authorizes the vehicle title transfer.
Transferring a Title After a Lease Buyout
You’ve paid off your vehicle loan! Congratulations. When you pay off your vehicle loan, you can request a clear title removes the lien holder as an owner of the vehicle. The lien holder has 10 days to release the lien and notify the Secretary of State regarding this change.
If the ME BMV office still shows there is a lien on the vehicle that has since been released, you can request your lien holder to complete a Release of Lien (Form MVT-12) and submit it to the BMV.
How to Transfer Ownership of a Vehicle Without a Title in Maine?
It is illegal in the state of Main to sell a vehicle without a title. In this situation, the purchase of the vehicle can be declared invalid.
If the seller has misplaced the vehicle title, they can visit their local Maine BMV office and apply for a duplicate vehicle title, (Form MVT-8).
Can I Gift a Car to a Family Member?
Yes! You can gift a vehicle to a relative. The process for gifting a vehicle to a relative is similar to that of transferring the vehicle title in a private sale. The only difference in this situation is putting $0 for the sale price on the vehicle title.
Transferring a Vehicle Title When You Have an Out-of-State Title
To successfully transfer an out-of-state vehicle’s title in Maine, you are required to submit a variety of documents. You also need to provide your local BMV with the mandated out-of-state vehicle title transfer information within 30 days of establishing residency in the state. In addition to the out-of-state vehicle title transfer form, you must submit the following documentation:
- Out-of-state vehicle title and registration
- Vehicle insurance identification card
- Payment for the applicable vehicle title and registration fees
- Payment for the annual state tax, as well as the sales tax
- The name and mailing address of the lien holder (if applicable)
Keep in mind, you may be required to submit additional paperwork and pay additional fees.
Requesting a Duplicate Vehicle Title in Maine
You need to replace your ME vehicle title if it is damaged, lost, or has been stolen. You need to complete a Request to Re-issue a Certificate of Title (Form MVT-8) and pay the fee for the duplicate vehicle title. You can have your duplicate vehicle title rushed to you for an additional $10. If you recently received a vehicle title from the Secretary of State, you will have to wait 15 days for them to reissue a duplicate title.
How Much Does a Title Transfer Cost in Maine?
There are different vehicle title transfer fees in Maine.
The fees associated with vehicle title transfers in Maine include:
- First-time vehicle title application:
- No lien: $33
- 1 lien: $33
- 2 liens: $33
- Duplicate vehicle title: $33
- Corrected vehicle title: $33
- Expedited vehicle title (rushed title fee): $10
- Transferring vehicle title to a surviving spouse: Free
- Sales tax: 5.5% of the vehicle’s purchase price
Make sure you have the payment ready to help you avoid additional fees because of penalties.
Where Can I Go to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Maine?
There are multiple BMV locations in the state of Maine where you can transfer a vehicle’s title.
Department of Motor Vehicles
63 Portland Rd Ste 4
Kennebunk, ME 04043
(207) 985-4890
Monday-Friday (8 AM to 4:30 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Motor Vehicle Bureau
360 Old County Rd Ste 1
Rockland, ME 04841
(207) 596-2255
Monday-Friday (9 AM to 4 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
How to Fill Out the Maine Title and Title Transfer Forms
In order to complete Maine vehicle title and title transfer forms, you need to make sure you fill out each required form completely, and provide the necessary signatures, whether you’re the buyer or seller of the vehicle.
If you sold a vehicle instead of gifting it, you are required to add sales tax to the vehicle’s total price. You also need to provide an odometer reading in the “transfer of title by seller” section of the vehicle’s title.
You need to make sure you fill out the following sections on the vehicle title:
- Ensure the VIN on the original vehicle title matches the number on the application exactly
- The odometer reading must match the section on the back of the original vehicle title and on the application
- All addresses and names of the vehicle’s buyers and sellers on the original vehicle title must match those filled out on the application
- The purchase price must match on both documents
You may be required to pay additional fees and/or documentation, including but not limited to, a valid ME vehicle insurance policy that meets or exceeds the insurance coverage limits specified by Maine state law. You may also need to provide a valid government-issued photo ID for identification verification. If you don’t have a valid government-issued photo ID, a foreign passport is an acceptable form of identification.
My Car Title Was Signed But Never Transferred. What Do I Do?
If a vehicle’s title is signed, but never transferred, this means the vehicle’s seller failed to transfer ownership or register the vehicle in their name. When a vehicle’s title isn’t transferred, it’s known as an open title. With an open vehicle title, the vehicle’s seller does not assume any responsibility for the vehicle, including paying taxes, penalties, and fees.
If the vehicle’s seller has lost the vehicle’s title, they are responsible for requesting a duplicate vehicle title (Form MVT-8) at their local ME BMV. Once the title is obtained, the vehicle seller can sign the title over to you for you to put in your name.