Maine vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free Maine bill of sale on this page and print it.

Maine law does not list a bill of sale as a required document for every private sale. The seller transfers a titled vehicle by completing the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate of title. At registration, the buyer must give the Secretary of State either a properly completed bill of sale showing that a dealer collected the sales tax or that the sale is not taxable, or a signed use tax certificate with the tax paid or an exemption shown (29-A M.R.S. §409). Vehicles more than 25 years old are exempt from Maine's title requirement (29-A M.R.S. §652). We found no law requiring a bill of sale to be notarized.

Maine doesn't publish a required list. A complete bill of sale usually has:

• The seller's and buyer's names and addresses
• Year, make, model and VIN
• Odometer reading
• Sale date and price
• An "as is" statement if there's no warranty
• Both signatures and the date

1. Make sure every owner named on the title signs it. BMV rules require the signatures of all owners to transfer ownership.
2. When you deliver the vehicle, complete the assignment and warranty of title in the space on the certificate of title.
3. Fill in the odometer disclosure on the back of the title with the date, the reading without tenths, and both parties' printed names and addresses. Sign it before the buyer signs.
4. Give the buyer the signed title and, if the vehicle had a loan, a properly released certificate of lien.
5. Remove your plates. Your registration expires when you transfer the vehicle, and the plates belong to the State.
6. Move the plates to your next vehicle for an $8 transfer fee, or send them with the registration certificate to the Secretary of State if you will not renew or transfer the registration within 6 months.

The seller completes the assignment and warranty of title in the space provided on the certificate of title (29-A M.R.S. §662). The odometer disclosure goes on the reverse of the title: the date of transfer, the odometer reading without tenths, the seller's and buyer's printed names and current addresses, and the seller's certification. The seller signs first, and the buyer signs after to acknowledge the disclosure (29-A M.R.S. §752). All owners must sign (29-250 C.M.R. ch. 102, § 2). The title signature does not need a notary in Maine.

Maine doesn't require you to report the sale to the state. Under 29-A M.R.S. §662, a seller who has delivered the vehicle and properly assigned and delivered the title is not liable as owner for damages from its later operation. Remove your plates, since the registration expires when you transfer the vehicle.

Plates remain the property of the State, and the registration expires when you transfer the vehicle (29-A M.R.S. §463). Keep the plates. You can use them on another vehicle you register in the same registration year for an $8 transfer fee, plus any difference if the new registration fee is higher (29-A M.R.S. §502). If you do not intend to renew or transfer the registration within 6 months, remove the plates and send them with the registration certificate to the Secretary of State. Registration fees are not refunded, but you can get credit toward another vehicle: the full fee in the first 8 months of the registration year, and up to half in the last 4 months.

Inspection. None tied to a private sale. Maine requires an annual safety inspection for registered vehicles, and vehicles required to be registered in Cumberland County need an annual enhanced inspection that also checks the fuel tank cap and, on 1996 and newer models, the on-board diagnostic system (29-A M.R.S. §1751). A vehicle sold by a licensed dealer must display an inspection sticker issued within 60 days of the sale (29-A M.R.S. §1754).

Odometer disclosure. At transfer, the seller must give the buyer the odometer information on the reverse of the title, following the federal Truth in Mileage Act and 49 CFR Part 580. It includes the date, the reading without tenths, both parties' printed names and addresses, and the seller's certification that the reading is the actual mileage, exceeds the odometer's mechanical limit, or is not the actual mileage. If the back of the title is full, a Secretary of State transfer form is used (29-A M.R.S. §752). Vehicles that are not self-propelled, and vehicles from model year 2011 on once they are 20 years old, are exempt (29-A M.R.S. §752-A).

Sales tax. Maine sales tax applies to casual (private) sales of motor vehicles (36 M.R.S. §1764). The general rate is 5.5% of the sale price (36 M.R.S. §1811). The Secretary of State collects the tax when the buyer registers the vehicle: the buyer submits a bill of sale showing the sale is not taxable, or signs a use tax certificate and pays the tax due (29-A M.R.S. §409). The vehicle cannot be registered until the local excise tax is paid.

The title fee is $33. To title and register the car, the buyer brings the signed title and, if there was a loan, the released certificate of lien. The local excise tax must be paid before the car can be registered. At registration, the buyer pays the sales tax due or shows a bill of sale proving the sale isn't taxable (29-A M.R.S. §409).

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) if anything about your sale is unusual.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.