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Maine license plate lookup

Enter a Maine plate to see the car and its VIN. Maine only titles cars from the last 25 model years, so an older car may come with no title and no title brands to read.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

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Plate search opens soon. Until then, enter the VIN: it’s on the dashboard by the windshield and on the driver’s door frame.

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It decodes as soon as all 17 are in.

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On this page
  1. What a Maine plate lookup tells you
  2. Who issues plates and titles in Maine
  3. Getting a Maine title or registration record
  4. Maine title legends a buyer may see
  5. Before you buy a car with Maine plates

What a Maine plate lookup tells you

Our free lookup finds the vehicle on a Maine plate, gives you the VIN and decodes it: year, make, model, engine and open safety recalls. With the VIN you can order a history report. Plate results come from a commercial vehicle-data provider.

It doesn’t show the owner. Names and addresses in motor vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 2721), and Maine releases them only for the permissible uses that law lists.

Who issues plates and titles in Maine

Titles and plates come from the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, part of the Secretary of State. You can pick up title applications at BMV branches and town offices. Maine requires a title only for vehicles from the last 25 model years: from January 1, 2026, that means 2001 or newer, and from January 1, 2027, 2002 or newer. Title paperwork not delivered to the Secretary of State within 30 days carries a penalty.

Maine is a two-plate state: a plate goes on the front and the rear of each vehicle, except trailers, motorcycles, dealer plates and truck tractors. Plates stay the property of the state, and the registration expires when the owner transfers the car. The seller can have their plates and number assigned to their next vehicle, and under § 502 can reuse the same plates in the same registration year for an $8 transfer fee.

Getting a Maine title or registration record

The BMV’s fee list includes a search of the title records at $5 for each name or VIN, or $33 certified. Businesses with an InforME subscription can run title searches online by title number or VIN, billed at $6.50 a record; results include brand and salvage data, owners and liens.

Access to the personal information on those records needs a signed DPPA agreement on top of the subscription, and BMV staff review each request first. The eligible groups include law enforcement, insurers, dealers, towing companies and private detective and security agencies. A buyer checking out a car isn’t one of them.

Maine title legends a buyer may see

A salvage title marks a car whose repair cost plus salvage value is more than it was worth before the damage. Maine law then sets out legends for a repaired salvage car, based on how much was replaced:

  • Rebuilt: one to four component parts replaced. Airbags don’t count as component parts here.
  • Rebuilt salvage: five or more component parts replaced, two cars with different frames joined, or a total loss repaired with a front or rear clip.
  • Repaired: a salvage car that was repaired as Maine law defines it.

Before a rebuilt car is titled, its VIN and component parts are inspected and verified. The repairer or rebuilder must tell the next owner in writing that the car was salvage and what repairs were made. For a car too old for a Maine title, none of this appears on paper, which makes a history report more useful. See salvage title check.

0 of 17

Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

Before you buy a car with Maine plates

  • Match the VIN from the lookup with the dashboard, the driver’s door label and the title, if the car is new enough to have one.
  • On a 2000 or older car, ask for the registration and a bill of sale, and lean on the history report.
  • If the title says rebuilt, rebuilt salvage or repaired, ask for the written repair disclosure.
  • Check the odometer against the report’s readings. See odometer rollback check.
  • Confirm engine and trim with the VIN decoder and see report options on pricing.

A CARFAX report on a Maine car is $8.99 with us.

Questions

Can I find the owner of a Maine plate?

No. Our lookup shows the vehicle and VIN only. Maine gives personal information on motor vehicle records only to eligible requesters under the DPPA, after BMV review.

Does Maine require a front license plate?

Yes. Maine law requires a plate on the front and the rear of each vehicle, except trailers, motorcycles, dealer plates and truck tractors.

Which Maine cars need a title?

Vehicles from the last 25 model years. As of January 1, 2026 that is model year 2001 or newer, moving to 2002 or newer on January 1, 2027.

What is the difference between rebuilt and rebuilt salvage in Maine?

Rebuilt means one to four component parts were replaced. Rebuilt salvage means five or more, frames from different cars were joined, or a front or rear clip was used.

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About the author

Tayron Bram

Data Validation Officer

Tayron Bram is the Data Validation Officer at Smart VIN Check, with 41 years of experience in used-car sales, auto auctions and vehicle data. Tayron has checked thousands of vehicle history reports and worked with dealers importing cars from the US. At Smart VIN Check, Tayron checks that every fact in our guides matches its source, from state title rules to NMVTIS and NHTSA records, and goes back to those sources when they change. Before a guide is published, Tayron reads it the way a buyer would, looking for anything unclear, out of date or not backed by a source. Tayron also keeps the prices we quote from other sellers current, so the comparisons on our pages stay accurate.

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