License plates play an important role when a vehicle changes ownership, moves to another vehicle, or is no longer registered in Maine. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has specific requirements for transferring or returning plates based on the vehicle and registration status. Knowing which forms, documents, fees, and deadlines may apply can help vehicle owners handle the process correctly. Maine License Plate Transfer & Return information covers common situations involving plate transfers, surrendered plates, registration changes, and related BMV requirements.
License plates may need to be transferred, surrendered, or returned after selling a vehicle, replacing a vehicle, canceling registration, or making another registration change. Maine vehicle owners can review the applicable BMV requirements before completing a transaction. Rules can vary based on the type of registration and reason for the plate change. This page explains Maine License Plate Transfer & Return procedures, including common transfer situations, return requirements, required paperwork, and important points to check before contacting or visiting the Maine BMV.
How to Transfer Plates When You Buy Another Vehicle
When you buy another vehicle in Maine License plates you may be able to transfer your existing registration and plate number instead of starting with a completely new plate. The vehicle must meet Maine registration requirements, and the transaction is processed through the appropriate municipal office, Bureau of Motor Vehicles location, or other authorized registration agent. The seller’s registration information can help with the transfer, particularly when municipal excise tax and registration paperwork are being prepared. Keep the documents related to the old vehicle and the replacement vehicle together so the registration agent can verify the transaction.
- Maine Title 29-A §502 — Transfer and Return of Registration:
- https://president.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec502.html
- Keep your previous registration: When you sell or replace a vehicle, keep the registration information for the vehicle that carried the plate you want to transfer.
- Complete the vehicle purchase: Have the required ownership paperwork, such as the title or applicable title documentation and bill of sale, for the replacement vehicle.
- Provide the previous registration: Maine municipal registration offices may request the previous registration when processing a plate transfer.
- Register the replacement vehicle: The new vehicle must be registered before it can be legally operated on Maine roads. Provide the required vehicle, ownership, insurance, and tax information.
- Request the plate transfer: Tell the municipal registration agent or other authorized registration agent that you want to transfer your existing plate to the replacement vehicle.
- Pay applicable charges: The transaction can include registration costs, excise tax, and applicable transfer or other fees based on the vehicle and transaction.
- Check the official requirements: Maine’s Title 29-A registration statutes provide the legal framework for vehicle registration. The linked Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A, §502 can be cited as a legal source for this topic.
What Documents Do You Need for a Plate Transfer?
When you transfer plates in Maine, the documents you need can depend on the vehicle transaction, registration type, and municipality handling the registration. A replacement vehicle may require ownership, insurance, registration, and tax-related information. The exact paperwork can vary, so the following list covers common documents that may be requested rather than presenting one fixed checklist for every transaction.
Documents Required for Plate Transfer:
- Current or previous registration: Helps identify the existing Maine registration and plate record.
- Registration certificate: May be needed to verify the current registration information.
- Vehicle title: Provides ownership information for the replacement vehicle when applicable.
- Bill of sale: May be required for a privately purchased vehicle or another transaction where proof of purchase is needed.
- Proof of insurance: Provides evidence of required vehicle insurance coverage.
- VIN: The vehicle identification number identifies the replacement vehicle being registered.
- Mileage information: Odometer or mileage information may be required for certain registration or ownership transactions.
- Excise tax documentation: May be relevant when municipal excise tax requirements apply.
- Replacement vehicle information: Have the make, model, year, VIN, and other available vehicle details ready.
Why the Old Registration Matters
Your current registration or previous registration can be important during a plate transfer because it connects the existing plate number with the Maine registration record. It can provide information needed to identify the plate, registrant, registration period, and vehicle record. The old registration may likewise be relevant when a registration credit is being applied to a replacement vehicle.
How to Cancel a Maine License Plate Registration
Maine provides the MVR-60 Plate Cancellation Request for people who need to formally cancel a vehicle plate registration. The current Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles form asks for registration information, the vehicle identification number (VIN), signatures from all persons listed on the registration, and notarization. A copy of the current registration should be attached when available. The completed form can be submitted at a BMV branch office or mailed to the Maine BMV at its Augusta address. Once processed and signed by BMV staff, the form serves as a Plate Cancellation Order under Title 29-A, §463.
Plate Transfer Fee and Registration Credit
Maine plate transfer involves both a transfer fee and, in qualifying situations, a possible registration credit. These are separate from ordinary plate-return or cancellation procedures. Under Maine Title 29-A §502, a person who transfers ownership or stops using a registered vehicle and registers another vehicle during the same registration year may use the same number plates when the statutory requirements are met. The transfer fee and applicable registration fees depend on the vehicles involved.
| Point | Maine Plate Transfer | Registration Credit |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | Moving an eligible existing plate number to another qualifying vehicle | Applying an eligible amount from the former registration fee toward another vehicle’s registration |
| Transfer fee | $8 statutory transfer fee | No separate credit fee stated under §502 |
| Registration fee difference | If the replacement vehicle has a higher registration fee, the difference must also be paid | Credit can be applied toward the registration of another vehicle when statutory conditions are met |
| Registration timing | Replacement vehicle must be registered during the same registration year | Credit amount depends on when the registration is discontinued during the registration year |
| First 8 months | $8 transfer fee applies when transfer requirements are met | Full fee may be credited toward another vehicle |
| Last 4 months | $8 transfer fee applies when transfer requirements are met, plus any applicable fee difference | Credit may be up to one-half of the original fee |
| Cash refund | Not a cash refund | Maine law states that no portion of the fee is refundable |
| Replacement vehicle | Required for the plate transfer | Another vehicle must be registered for the credit to apply |
| Main law | Maine Title 29-A §502(1) | Maine Title 29-A §502(3) |
| Result | Same eligible number plates may be used on the replacement vehicle | Qualifying registration fees may be credited toward another vehicle |
Plate Transfer After Selling or Trading In a Vehicle
Selling or trading in a vehicle in Maine does not automatically transfer the registration or license plates to the next vehicle. When ownership of the former vehicle is transferred, its registration expires under Maine Title 29-A §463. If the registered person plans to register another qualifying vehicle during the same registration year, Maine law provides a process for applying the same number plates to that vehicle. The applicable requirements must be met before the plate transfer can be completed. If no replacement vehicle is being registered, the person may need to follow the applicable plate cancellation or return requirements.
What Happens When You Sell Your Car?
When you sell a car in Maine, the transfer of ownership affects the registration of the former vehicle. Under Title 29-A §463, transferring or assigning ownership or an interest in the vehicle causes its registration to expire. The seller should remove the plates from the sold vehicle and retain the relevant registration information. If the seller is purchasing or registering another qualifying vehicle during the same registration year, the same number plates may be eligible for transfer under Maine’s plate-transfer provisions. If there is no replacement vehicle, the seller should follow the applicable requirements for returning or canceling the plates and registration.
Can You Transfer Plates From a Trade-In?
A trade-in can qualify for a Maine plate transfer when the statutory requirements are met, but a trade-in does not automatically make every plate eligible for transfer. The registered person can apply the same number plates to another qualifying vehicle when the transaction falls within Maine’s registration-transfer rules. The replacement vehicle still requires its own registration process, and applicable fees or registration differences may apply. The dealer’s paperwork for the trade-in and the registrant’s plate-transfer process are separate matters. The plate does not simply remain with the traded vehicle as part of the dealer transaction.
What If You Are Not Buying Another Vehicle?
If you sell or trade in your vehicle and are not registering another qualifying vehicle, there may be no replacement vehicle to which the same plates can be transferred. In that situation, the applicable registration cancellation or plate-return requirements become relevant. Maine law addresses plates connected with suspended, revoked, canceled, or expired registrations, along with situations where the registrant does not intend to renew or transfer the registration within the specified period. The proper action depends on the registration status and circumstances of the vehicle transaction.
Lost, Stolen, Damaged, or Replacement Plates
License plates that are lost, stolen, mutilated, or become illegible are handled through Maine’s replacement process rather than the ordinary plate return or cancellation process. Maine law addresses lost or damaged registration plates under Title 29-A §465 and requires action when a plate can no longer be used properly. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles provides the MV-9 Notice of Loss of Number Plates and Request for New Plates form for reporting a lost, stolen, mutilated, or law-enforcement-removed plate and requesting a replacement.
What If You Lost Your Maine License Plate?
If you lost a Maine license plate, the situation is handled as a lost registration plate rather than an ordinary plate return. Under §465, the owner or person in control of the vehicle must immediately place a temporary substitute number plate showing the registration number on the vehicle. The statute requires notification to the Secretary of State and an application for new registration plates within 24 hours after the loss or mutilation. Maine’s MV-9 form records the plate number, registration details, and whether the plate was lost, mutilated, stolen, or removed by law enforcement.
What If Your Plate Was Stolen?
A stolen plate should be reported through Maine’s lost-plate replacement process. The current MV-9 form specifically includes Stolen as a reason for requesting new plates. The form is processed through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or a municipal agent, and it records the old plate information and whether replacement plates were issued. The statutory loss provision also requires notification to the Secretary of State and an application for new plates within the stated 24-hour period.
What If the Plate Is Damaged or Illegible?
A damaged, mutilated, or illegible plate can require replacement rather than ordinary return. Maine law specifically covers plates whose numbers become mutilated or illegible and requires a temporary plate substitute plate until the replacement process is completed. The MV-9 form includes Mutilated as a replacement reason. When a replacement is issued, the old plate may need to be surrendered where applicable. This process is separate from canceling a registration through Maine’s plate cancellation procedure.
Plate Transfer vs Plate Return
Maine plate transfer and plate return are separate registration actions. A transfer is relevant when the registered person has another qualifying vehicle and wants to use the same number plates under the applicable registration-transfer rules. A return or cancellation situation applies when the registration is canceled, suspended, revoked, expired, or the registrant does not plan to renew or transfer the registration within the applicable period. The correct option depends on what happens to the former vehicle and whether another vehicle is being registered.
| Point | Maine Plate Transfer | Maine Plate Return / Cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | Using an eligible existing plate number on another qualifying vehicle | Returning or canceling the plate and its related registration |
| When it applies | When you are registering another vehicle and meet Maine’s transfer requirements | When the registration ends or circumstances require the plate to be returned |
| Replacement vehicle | A qualifying replacement vehicle is being registered | A replacement vehicle is not required |
| Same number plates | The same eligible number plates can be transferred to the replacement vehicle | The plates are not being transferred to another vehicle |
| Registration year | The applicable transfer must meet Maine’s same-registration-year requirement | Registration expiration, cancellation, suspension, revocation, or the applicable six-month rule may be relevant |
| Fee | $8 statutory transfer fee, plus any applicable registration difference | The applicable cancellation or return requirements apply |
| Example | You sell your car, buy another vehicle, and qualify to transfer the same plate number | You sell your car and do not register another qualifying vehicle, so you follow the applicable return or cancellation process |
| Relevant law | Maine Title 29-A §502 | Maine Title 29-A §463 |
| Result | The existing eligible plate number is used with another vehicle’s registration | The old plate and registration are returned or canceled as required |
Frequently Asked Questions
Maine license plate transfer, plate return, registration cancellation, replacement plates, and old license plates. These key differences between transferring a plate to another vehicle and returning or canceling a plate after a vehicle sale or registration change. Requirements can vary by situation, so each answer focuses on the relevant Maine rules and registration process.
Can I Transfer My Maine License Plate to Another Vehicle?
Yes, an eligible Maine plate number may be transferred to another qualifying vehicle when the requirements under Maine law are met. The transfer generally applies during the same registration year and requires registration of the replacement vehicle. A Maine plate transfer is different from simply leaving the plates on a vehicle after selling it.
How Much Does It Cost to Transfer Plates in Maine?
Maine law provides for transferring registration plates. If the replacement vehicle has a higher registration fee than the former vehicle, the applicable difference may also be due. Other registration charges can apply based on the replacement vehicle and transaction.
What Should I Do With Old License Plates in Maine?
What to do with old license plates in Maine depends on whether you are transferring the plate, canceling the registration, or replacing a lost or damaged plate. Do not treat every old plate the same. Maine law contains separate requirements for plate transfer, registration cancellation, and certain expired registrations.
Do I Have to Return Maine Plates After Selling My Car?
Selling a vehicle does not automatically mean that every plate must immediately be returned. If you qualify to transfer the same number plates to another vehicle, the transfer process may apply. If there is no replacement vehicle and the registration is canceled or falls under Maine’s return requirements, plate return may be required.
Can I Keep My Old Maine License Plate?
Maine law has specific rules concerning old plates. A discontinued general-issue plate design may become the property of the person to whom it was issued under the conditions in Title 29-A. This does not mean that every old plate can automatically be kept after a vehicle sale or registration cancellation.