Overview
Add Maine's flat 5.5% sales tax, a $33 title fee, $35 registration, and a small town agent fee, and you have the full picture. Almost none of this happens at a state BMV counter - most Mainers do the whole transaction at their town office, which doubles as the municipal registration agent. Enter your numbers below for the real total.
01 - Official fees
Maine tax, title & license fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Excise tax (year 1, current model year) | 24 mills | = 2.4% of original MSRP |
| Excise tax (year 2) | 17.5 mills | |
| Excise tax (year 3) | 13.5 mills | |
| Excise tax (year 4) | 10 mills | |
| Excise tax (year 5) | 6.5 mills | |
| Excise tax (year 6+) | 4 mills | |
| Sales tax | 5.5% | of price minus qualifying trade-in |
| Title application fee | $33.00 | flat statewide, no county tiers |
| Registration (passenger vehicle) | $35.00/yr | |
| Town agent fee | $4–$6 | set by each town |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your town office (Maine BMV) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to title and register a car in Maine
- 1
Get a signed-over title from the seller, or the paperwork from your dealer.
- 2
Bring the title (or bill of sale for a private sale), proof of Maine insurance, and ID to your town office.
- 3
The clerk calculates excise tax from the vehicle's original MSRP and its model-year age.
- 4
Pay excise tax, the $33 title fee, 5.5% sales tax (if not already collected by a dealer), $35 registration, and the town's agent fee in one visit.
- 5
Walk out with your plates/sticker - most towns issue on the spot.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Maine vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Maine tax, title & license FAQ
How much is tax, title and registration on a new $45,000 truck in Maine?
About $3,629 the first year: $1,080 excise tax (24 mills), $2,475 sales tax (5.5%), a $33 title fee, $35 registration, and roughly $6 in town agent fees. The excise line drops sharply in later years even though the other fees stay flat.
Do I pay this at the BMV or at my town office?
Your town office, in almost every case. Maine towns act as registration agents - you pay excise tax, title fee, sales tax, and registration all in one visit there. Only towns that don't offer the service route you to a BMV branch instead.
Why is excise tax based on MSRP instead of what I paid?
State law (36 M.R.S. §1482) fixes the excise base to the manufacturer's original suggested retail price for that model and trim - not your negotiated price, and not the car's current value. A heavily discounted new truck and one bought at sticker price owe the identical excise tax.
Does a trade-in lower my Maine sales tax?
Yes, but only when you're trading one self-propelled road vehicle for another - the tax applies to price minus the trade-in allowance. Trading a boat, a lawnmower, or cash-equivalent property toward a car gets no such credit; the full price is taxed.
My car is 10 years old - why is excise still hundreds of dollars?
Because excise never disappears, it just locks at 4 mills of the ORIGINAL MSRP from year six onward. A $50,000 luxury sedan bought new keeps owing $200/year in excise indefinitely, even though the car itself is worth a fraction of that.
Does Maine charge electric vehicles an extra registration fee?
Not currently. Several bills proposing EV surcharges - including a $250/year plan (LD 622) - have been introduced and died in the Legislature as recently as 2025. As of this writing, EVs pay the same excise, sales tax, and registration as any other passenger vehicle.
I don't know my car's original MSRP - how does the town figure excise?
You don't need the window sticker. Town clerks pull MSRP from a state-supplied vehicle valuation guide keyed to the VIN, so the excise bill is calculated for you at the counter.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.