ME license plate lookup · plate to VIN

Maine License Plate Lookup

A Maine license plate lookup turns the plate into the car's VIN in seconds and gives you one report: odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs, drawn from records in all states. In Maine that history counts. Winters here mean salted roads, so underbody rust is the first thing to check, and many used cars arrive from other states with brands that carry over onto a Maine title. Maine also exempts vehicles more than 25 years old from titling, so for an older car the report is often your best record of its past. No account needed.

Full report $9.99. One payment, no subscription.

Records from all states
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Used car with crash damage: check the VIN before you buy

How a Maine plate lookup works

Type the ME plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Maine selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history.

1. Enter the plate
Type the Maine plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.
2. We find the car's VIN
The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.
3. Open the full history report
One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

Odometer readings in miles
Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.
All states
Police-reported crashes
Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.
All states
Salvage and auction history, with photos
Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.
All states
Title brands
Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.
Recalls and owner complaints
Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.
Model-level
Factory specs
Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.
Every VIN

Maine license plate formats

Maine had 1,206,967 registered vehicles in 2024. Source: FHWA

Maine license plate formats
Plate	Format	Example	Notes
Standard passenger (pine tree and star design, since May 1, 2025)	`123 ABC`	`101 KAA`	White plate with a pine tree and blue star based on the 1901 state flag, "VACATIONLAND" at the bottom. A plain white base without the tree and star uses the same format in the F to H series.
Lobster specialty plate	`123 ABC`	`214 AAB`	Lobster, Black Bear, Agriculture, Sportsman and other specialty plates draw from their own letter series.
Vanity	`Custom combination`	`MOOSE`	Approved by the Secretary of State under 29-A M.R.S. §453; profane or derogatory combinations are refused.

Maine issues registration plates through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, part of the Secretary of State, and through town offices that act as its agents. Since May 1, 2025, new standard plates carry a pine tree and a blue star taken from the 1901 state flag, with "VACATIONLAND" across the bottom. A plainer white base without the tree is issued alongside it. Both use a 123 ABC format. Specialty plates are popular here, Lobster, Black Bear, Agriculture and Sportsman among them, and each has its own letter series. Maine is a two-plate state: 29-A M.R.S. §452 requires a plate on the front and the rear of each vehicle, with exceptions for motorcycles and trailers. The registration expires when the car is sold, and the plates stay with the seller. If the seller registers another vehicle in the same registration year, they can move the plates for $8. A buyer from a dealer drives on a $2 temporary plate that lasts 30 days, with one 20-day extension.

Front plate rule

Maine requires a plate on the front and the rear of a passenger car, so you can read either one.

Maine fees at a glance

What BMV and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

Maine fees at a glance
Fee	Amount	Details	Source
Certificate of title (first title or title after a transfer)	$33	29-A M.R.S. §603(1)	BMV
Certificate of salvage	$33	29-A M.R.S. §603(1)	BMV
BMV record search, per name or VIN	$33	29-A M.R.S. §603(1); release of personal data limited by DPPA rules	BMV
Annual registration, automobile or pickup up to 6,000 lbs	$35	29-A M.R.S. §501(1), plus municipal excise tax	BMV
Excise tax, model year 1 (paid at town office)	24 mills per dollar of maker's list price	Year 2: 17.5, year 3: 13.5, year 4: 10, year 5: 6.5, year 6 and older: 4 mills. Minimum $5. 36 M.R.S. §1482	BMV
Plate transfer to another vehicle in the same registration year	$8	Plus any difference in registration fee. 29-A M.R.S. §502(1)	BMV
Dealer temporary plate	$2	Valid 30 days, extendable by 20 days. 29-A M.R.S. §954-A	BMV
Annual safety inspection (maximum station charge)	$12.50	Cumberland County enhanced inspection: up to $15.50 (pre-1996) or $18.50 (1996 and later). 29-A M.R.S. §1751(3-A)	BMV

Title brands in Maine

A brand on a Maine title records that the car was a total loss, rebuilt or damaged by water, and it stays on later titles. The report lists the title brands recorded for the VIN.

Title brands in Maine
Brand	What it means	Law	Source
Salvage	The vehicle has no value beyond its parts or is sold only for parts. An insurer must apply for a salvage certificate within 30 days of settling the claim.	29-A M.R.S. §667	Source
Rebuilt salvage	Two or more vehicles with different frames were joined, five or more major component parts were replaced, or a total loss was repaired with a front or rear clip.	29-A M.R.S. §667	Source
Rebuilt	At least one but fewer than five major component parts were replaced (airbags do not count).	29-A M.R.S. §667	Source
Repaired	A repaired salvage vehicle as defined in 29-A M.R.S. §602(12). Brands from other states carry over to the Maine title.	29-A M.R.S. §667	Source

Buying a used car in Maine

Before you buy, know the paperwork. A vehicle 25 model years old or newer needs a title, signed over by the seller. Older vehicles need no title. Get a dated bill of sale with the VIN, both names and the price either way. Your first stop is your town office, where you pay the excise tax. It is based on the maker's list price, not on what you paid: 24 mills per dollar in the first model year, falling to 4 mills from the sixth year on. Then you title ($33) and register ($35 a year for a car). Every car registered in Maine needs a yearly safety inspection, so ask when the sticker expires. Maine gives dealer buyers a protection few states offer: under 10 M.R.S. §1474 the dealer warrants that the car passes state inspection, and no 'as is' clause can waive that. Private sellers give no such warranty. Rust on frames, brake lines and rocker panels is the main local risk. A car marked rebuilt salvage, rebuilt or repaired has been through a total loss.

Private sale: Get a dated bill of sale with the VIN, both names and the price. For a vehicle 25 model years old or newer, also get the prior title signed by the seller. Pay the municipal excise tax at your town office first, then complete the title application and registration; some cities, such as Bangor, send private-sale registrations to a state BMV branch.
Dealer sale: Under Maine's Used Car Information law (10 M.R.S. §1474), a dealer warrants that the used car passed Maine's state inspection and meets its standards, and this warranty cannot be waived by 'as is' wording. The dealer can put a $2 temporary plate on the car, valid for 30 days.

Official Maine vehicle tools

These tools are run by state and federal agencies, not by Carlytics. Use them next to the report.

NMVTIS consumer access (U.S. Department of Justice)
Current state of title, title brands reported by states, insurers and salvage yards, last odometer reading on the title
You enter: VIN
NICB VINCheck
Open theft records and insurance total-loss records reported by participating insurers
You enter: VIN
NHTSA recall lookup
Open safety recalls not yet repaired
You enter: VIN
Maine BMV record search
Title and registration record report for a name or VIN, $33 per search; personal data released only for DPPA-permitted uses
You enter: VIN

Vehicle inspection in Maine

Annual Maine State Police safety inspection; enhanced inspection in Cumberland County

Every vehicle registered in Maine needs an annual safety inspection covering brakes, tires, lights, glass, steering and seat belts. Cumberland County adds an enhanced check of the gas cap and, on 1996 and later models, the on-board diagnostic system. Source

What Maine vehicle records show

Maine BMV records include title, salvage certificate and registration history, and the Bureau will run a record search for $33 per name or VIN. Owner names and addresses are protected. Maine applies the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act by rule, and 29-A M.R.S. §2102(5) makes knowingly spreading protected information a crime. For a buyer, the national tools answer narrow questions: NMVTIS shows title brands and the last title odometer reading, NICB VINCheck shows theft and total-loss records, and NHTSA lists open recalls. Each needs the VIN. A plate lookup starts from the plate you can see, finds the VIN and brings odometer history, crash records, auction photos and title brands from all states into one report.

Maine license plate privacy law

Maine follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

29-A M.R.S. §256 and §2102(5); BMV rule 29-250 ch. 10

Maine applies the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act by rule: the BMV may not knowingly disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record except for listed uses such as vehicle safety and theft, insurance, courts and government. Knowingly spreading DPPA-protected information is a Class E crime under 29-A M.R.S. §2102(5).

Source: BMV

What our lookup shows

Vehicle data only: the VIN, odometer readings, crashes, auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs. Never the owner's name, address or phone number.

See what a report looks like

A real report for a real car, every section included:

Sample report: 2017 Chevrolet Traverse

Latest odometer reading: 104,351 mi at a New York State inspection on Mar 26, 2026
5 dated odometer readings, no decrease
Police-reported crash in New York, 2021
3 safety recalls for the model

Open the full sample report

Look up a Maine license plate

the result is the same: the car's VIN in seconds, then its full history for $9.99. Checking several cars? $19.99 for three, $29.99 for five.

Maine license plate lookup questions

Can I look up the owner of a Maine license plate?

No. Maine applies the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act through BMV rules, so owner names and addresses go only to permitted users such as insurers, courts and police. Spreading protected information is a Class E crime under 29-A M.R.S. §2102(5). A plate lookup gives you the VIN and the car's full history, never personal data.

Does Maine require front and rear license plates?

Yes. Under 29-A M.R.S. §452, a registration plate must be attached to the front and the rear of each vehicle. Motorcycles do not carry a front plate, and trailers carry only a rear plate. Check that both plates match the registration.

Does a car need a title in Maine?

Only if it is 25 model years old or newer. 29-A M.R.S. §652 exempts vehicles more than 25 years old from the title requirement, so a dated bill of sale with the VIN is the key document. A first title or a title after a transfer costs $33.

How is Maine excise tax calculated on a used car?

It is based on the maker's list price and the model year, not on the price you paid. Under 36 M.R.S. §1482 the rate is 24 mills per dollar in year 1, then 17.5, 13.5, 10 and 6.5, and 4 mills from year 6 on. You pay it at your town office before registering.

Can a Maine dealer sell a used car 'as is'?

Not for inspection defects. 10 M.R.S. §1474 makes every dealer warrant that the used car passed Maine's state inspection and meets its standards. That warranty cannot be excluded, limited or waived. You must give the dealer written notice by certified or registered mail before suing over a failure.

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

It depends on how much was replaced. Under 29-A M.R.S. §667, 'rebuilt' means one to four major component parts were replaced. 'Rebuilt salvage' means five or more parts were replaced, frames from different cars were joined, or a total loss was fixed with a front or rear clip.

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Sources

The fees, laws and rules on this page were checked against these official sources on Oct 30, 2026.

Show all 19 sources