Maine: Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements
The short answer
Maine titles passenger vehicles up to 25 model years old: the seller signs an assignment and warranty of title — including the odometer statement — over to the buyer with no notary, releases any lien, and hands over the certificate. Maine also requires a signed bill of sale for a private sale, but the endorsed title is the ownership instrument; a vehicle more than 25 years old has no title and transfers on a bill of sale plus the prior registration. The buyer registers at the town office or a BMV branch, paying 5.5% sales tax on the price, a $33 title fee, the annual municipal excise tax, and the registration fee, and must carry liability insurance and pass an annual safety inspection to operate. The registration expires on the sale, so the seller keeps the plates and excise credit and is released from owner liability once possession and the title steps are complete.
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This is the general rule in Maine. Ezel applies current Maine law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law, agency, and scope | 29-A M.R.S. ch. 7 (Title to Vehicles), esp. §§ 651, 652, 657, 658, and 662, plus § 406; the Secretary of State / Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues titles, and the municipal (town) office or a BMV branch handles registration and excise tax. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Maine-titled used passenger vehicle. A title is required except for a vehicle more than 25 model years old (§ 652(13)). |
|---|---|
| Title assignment, owner signatures, and lien release | The owner executes an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate at delivery — including the odometer statement — and delivers the certificate and assignment to the buyer or the BMV (§ 662(1)); both sign. The owner must provide a properly released certificate of lien if one was issued, and a lienholder holding the title delivers it on request (§ 662(1)-(2)). A vehicle more than 25 years old has no title and transfers on a bill of sale plus the prior registration (§ 652(13); BMV). |
| Notarization, witness, or agent verification | None. Section 662 requires only the assignment and warranty in the space provided on the certificate; the BMV title application (MVT-2) and the bill of sale are not notarized. No notary, witness, or agent verification applies to an ordinary transfer. |
| Bill of sale requirement and contents | Maine requires a signed bill of sale for a private sale (BMV). The official Maine Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale lists the vehicle, the price, and the buyer's and seller's names, addresses, and signatures. It supplements the endorsed title — or, for a vehicle more than 25 years old, pairs with the prior registration — and does not by itself establish ownership. |
| Odometer, damage, and title-brand disclosures | The odometer statement is part of the assignment and warranty on the title (§ 662(1), incorporating § 752), under the federal overlay; the certificate itself records the mileage and whether the vehicle is new, used, rebuilt, repaired, or salvage (§ 658). No separate ordinary damage form applies; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the certificate-of-salvage process (§§ 651, 657) outside the ordinary answer. |
| Seller notice, plate handling, and liability | The registration expires on the transfer of ownership, except a transfer to a surviving spouse (§ 406); the seller keeps the plates and registration and can move the plates and the excise-tax credit to a replacement vehicle (BMV; municipal offices). There is no separate report-of-sale form. The seller's liability release is statutory: once the seller delivers possession and completes § 662 and § 665, the seller 'is not liable thereafter as owner for damages resulting from operation of the vehicle' (§ 662(4)). |
| Buyer deadline, forms, tax, and fees | No fixed statutory day-count for an in-state buyer, but the transfer 'is not effective until' the § 662 and § 665 steps are done and the fees paid, and the buyer must register to operate (§ 662(4)). Register at the town office or a BMV branch with the signed title (for models 25 years old and newer) or the bill of sale plus prior title, a signed bill of sale, proof of insurance, and the MVT-2 title application. Pay Maine's 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price, a $33 title fee (models 25 years old and newer), the annual municipal excise tax, and the registration fee (BMV; § 657). |
| Inspection, emissions, insurance, and operation | A registered Maine vehicle must pass an annual safety inspection (§ 1751(1)); Cumberland County adds an enhanced OBD emissions inspection for 1996-and-newer vehicles (§ 1751(2-A)) — the only emissions area. The owner and operator must maintain motor-vehicle financial responsibility (liability insurance) at all times; driving uninsured is a traffic infraction of $100 to $500 with license and registration suspension (§ 1601). A transfer is not effective until the § 662 steps are complete. |
| Penalties, rejection, and failed transfer | A transfer 'is not effective until' § 662 and § 665 are fulfilled and the fees paid, and the seller sheds owner liability only after delivering possession and completing them (§ 662(4)). A non-dealer transferee must obtain title in the transferee's name before transferring the vehicle to another (§ 662(1)). The BMV can reject a title bearing cross-outs or errors, or a filing missing a lien release, bill of sale, or insurance proof (BMV). Failing to maintain insurance is a traffic infraction with suspension (§ 1601). |
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Requirements one by one
The title assignment and the BMV filing work together
Maine moves ownership through the certificate of title. Under § 662(1) the owner,
"at the time of delivery of the vehicle," executes "an assignment and warranty of
title to the transferee in the space provided on the certificate," and that
warranty "must include the odometer information required by section 752." The
owner delivers the certificate and assignment to the buyer or to the BMV, and
must hand over a "properly released certificate of lien if one was issued." A
lienholder holding the title delivers it on request (§ 662(2)).
The buyer then applies. Section 657 subsection (2) — § 657(2) — has the Secretary of State issue a new
title "upon receipt of a properly assigned certificate of title ... with an
application for a new certificate, the required fee and any other documents
required by law." The title itself carries the assignment and application forms
(§ 658(3)).
Title only up to 25 years old
Not every Maine car has a title. Section 652(13) exempts "Vehicles more than 25
years old" from titling. This is a rolling cutoff, so the line moves forward
every year. A vehicle 25 model years old or newer needs its title signed over; an
older one has no title and transfers on a bill of sale plus the prior
registration. Section 651 subsection (1) — § 651(1) — confirms the title rules
apply "at first registration or when a change of registration is required by
reason of a sale for consideration."
No notarization
Nothing in an ordinary Maine transfer is notarized. Section 662 asks only for the
assignment and warranty in the space on the certificate, and the BMV's title
application (MVT-2) and bill of sale carry no notary block. There is no notary,
witness, or agent-verification step.
The bill of sale is required — but is not the title
Maine requires a signed bill of sale for a private sale, and the BMV provides an
official Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale listing the vehicle, the price, and the
parties' names, addresses, and signatures. For a titled vehicle it supplements
the endorsed certificate; for a vehicle more than 25 years old it pairs with the
prior registration. Either way it does not by itself establish ownership — the
buyer still registers and, for a newer vehicle, applies for the new title.
The seller keeps the plates and sheds liability
Maine plates belong to the owner, not the car. Under § 406 "a vehicle
registration expires on the transfer of ownership except for a transfer to a
surviving spouse," so the seller keeps the plates and registration and can move
them — with the excise-tax credit — to a replacement vehicle. There is no
separate report-of-sale form. Instead, § 662(4) gives the seller a statutory
release: an owner "who has delivered possession of the vehicle and has complied
with this section and section 665 is not liable thereafter as owner for damages
resulting from operation of the vehicle."
The buyer's registration, tax, and fees
Maine sets no fixed day count for an in-state buyer, but § 662(4) makes the
transfer ineffective "until the provisions of this section and section 665 have
been fulfilled and the required fees have been paid," and the buyer must register
to drive. Registration happens at the town office or a BMV branch. Bring the
signed title (for a vehicle 25 years old or newer) or the bill of sale plus prior
title, a signed bill of sale, proof of insurance, and the MVT-2 title
application. The charges are Maine's 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price, a $33
title fee, the annual municipal excise tax paid at the town office, and the
registration fee.
Inspection, emissions, and insurance are operating rules
Two requirements govern driving rather than titling. Section 1751 subsection (1)
— § 1751(1) — requires a registered Maine vehicle to pass "an annual inspection,"
and § 1751(2-A) adds an
enhanced OBD emissions inspection for 1996-and-newer vehicles registered in
Cumberland County — the only emissions area. And unlike some neighbors, Maine
does require insurance: § 1601(1) makes the owner and operator "maintain the
amounts of motor vehicle financial responsibility," and driving uninsured is a
traffic infraction of $100 to $500 (§ 1601(5)) with license and registration
suspension.
What trips people up
- Expecting a title on an older car. A vehicle more than 25 years old is
title-exempt (§ 652(13)); there is no title to sign — use the bill of sale plus
the prior registration. Because the cutoff rolls forward each year, a car that
needed a title a decade ago may be exempt now. - Treating the bill of sale as the transfer. Maine requires it, but the
endorsed title (for a titled vehicle) is the ownership instrument. A bill of
sale alone does not register or title the car. - Leaving the plates on the car. They stay with the seller, who keeps the
registration and excise credit (§ 406). Hand over the title, not the plates. - Cross-outs on the title. The BMV rejects a title with errors or white-out;
fill it in cleanly in ink.
Common questions
Does my Maine car need a title?
Only if it is 25 model years old or newer. A vehicle more than 25 years old is
title-exempt and transfers on a bill of sale plus the prior registration
(§ 652(13)).
Do the title signatures need to be notarized?
No. Section 662 requires only the assignment on the certificate, and Maine's
bill of sale and title application are not notarized.
How much tax and fees will the buyer pay?
Maine charges 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price, a $33 title fee (for a
vehicle 25 years old or newer), the annual municipal excise tax at the town
office, and the registration fee.
Do I need insurance and an inspection?
Yes. Maine requires liability insurance (§ 1601) and an annual safety inspection
(§ 1751); vehicles registered in Cumberland County also need an OBD emissions
check.
Statutes and sources
- 29-A M.R.S. § 662 — the owner's assignment and warranty of title with the
odometer statement, lien release, the "not effective until" rule, and the
seller's post-delivery liability release.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec662.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - 29-A M.R.S. §§ 651 and 652 — when a title is required and the exemption for
vehicles more than 25 years old.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec652.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - 29-A M.R.S. §§ 657 and 658 — issuance of a new title on a properly assigned
certificate and the certificate's assignment/application forms.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec657.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - 29-A M.R.S. § 406 — vehicle registration expires on transfer of ownership.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec406.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - 29-A M.R.S. § 1751 — annual safety inspection and Cumberland County enhanced
emissions inspection.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1751.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - 29-A M.R.S. § 1601 — required motor-vehicle financial responsibility
(insurance) and the penalty for driving uninsured.
https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1601.html (accessed 2026-07-23) - Maine BMV — Register A Passenger Vehicle — private-sale documents, signed
bill of sale, 5.5% sales tax, $33 title fee, and the 25-year title line.
https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/vehicles/register-a-passenger-vehicle (accessed 2026-07-23)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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