Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$20,000 vehicle
$1,168.00
Maine sales tax (5.5%) $1,100.00, Title $33.00, Registration (passenger vehicle) $35.00.
Not included yet: Municipal excise tax.
What a vehicle purchase costs in Maine, itemized and sourced.
Sales tax, title and registration for a vehicle registered in Maine. Every line cites the page it came from and the day we opened it.
On a $30,000.00 gas vehicle with no trade-in, the Maine estimate is $1,718.00 in taxes and fees (maine sales tax (5.5%) $1,650.00, title $33.00, registration (passenger vehicle) $35.00).
Estimate / Maine
Reviewed Oct 24, 2026
- Maine sales tax (5.5%)[1] source$1,650.00
- Title[2] source[1] source$33.00
- Registration (passenger vehicle)[3] source$35.00
Total taxes and fees$1,718.00
Not the full cost. This total leaves out 1 item, listed below.
Price plus these items: $31,718.00.
Costs not in this total
- Municipal excise tax. Your town collects a yearly excise tax. For a new vehicle it is figured from the manufacturer's suggested retail price, so it is left out.
Sources
- [1]Registering a passenger vehicleSupports: State sales tax rate, Local tax, Tax paid to another state, Title, Municipal excise tax
- [2]Title feesSupports: Title
- [3]Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 501 (registration fees)Supports: Registration (passenger vehicle)
- [4]Instructional Bulletin 39, Sale price (rev. Oct 4, 2019)Supports: Trade-in rule
What changed
- Oct 24, 2026Added state with the 5.5% sales tax (tax only on the difference when a vehicle is traded toward a vehicle), title and registration. The town's yearly excise tax is not included, and credit for tax paid elsewhere is not applied.
How Maine works out this bill
Maine charges 5.5% sales tax on a vehicle, a flat title fee and a yearly registration fee. Your town also bills a yearly excise tax based on the vehicle's original price.
The sales tax rate is 5.5% of the purchase price. When a vehicle is traded toward another vehicle, the tax is figured only on the difference.
Source: Maine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicleMaine Revenue Services - Instructional Bulletin 39, Sale price (rev. Oct 4, 2019)
Your town collects the excise tax at the town office when you register. For a new vehicle it is based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Source: Maine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicle
All figures this calculator uses (6)
- State sales tax rate5.5%VerifiedThe BMV says you must pay Maine's sales tax of 5.5% on the purchase price when you buy from a private seller or an out-of-state dealer.Maine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicle
- Trade-in reduces taxable priceYesVerifiedWhen a motor vehicle is traded toward another motor vehicle, tax is figured only on the difference between the sale price and the trade-in value. A trade of a different kind of item does not lower the tax.Maine Revenue Services - Instructional Bulletin 39, Sale price (rev. Oct 4, 2019)
- Local taxNoneCheck sourceMaine towns charge a yearly excise tax, not a local sales tax. The BMV page does not say outright that there is no local sales tax.Maine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicle
- Title$33VerifiedApplication for a certificate of title. Expedited issuance costs $10 more.Maine Secretary of State BMV - Title feesMaine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicle
- Registration (passenger vehicle)$35VerifiedState fee for an automobile or a pickup registered for 6,000 pounds or less. Your town adds its own agent fees.Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 501 (registration fees)
- Municipal excise taxUnknownNot verifiedMaine Secretary of State BMV - Registering a passenger vehicle
Common questions
Does a trade-in lower the sales tax in Maine?
Yes, when you trade one motor vehicle toward another, tax is figured on the difference. A trade of another kind of item does not lower it.
Source: Maine Revenue Services - Instructional Bulletin 39, Sale price (rev. Oct 4, 2019)
How often is this page updated?
The data on this page was last reviewed on Oct 24, 2026. Pages get a changed-page check each month and a full re-verification each January and July.
Worked examples
Gas vehicle with a trade-in
$30,000 vehicle, $8,000 trade-in
$1,278.00
Tax is charged on $22,000, so the trade-in saves $440.00 in sales tax.
Not included yet: Municipal excise tax.
Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$50,000 vehicle
$2,818.00
Maine sales tax (5.5%) $2,750.00, Title $33.00, Registration (passenger vehicle) $35.00.
Not included yet: Municipal excise tax.
Each example runs the same calculation as the calculator above. Local tax and county fees are left out unless the example says otherwise, because they depend on where you live. Estimates only.
What this calculator does not cover
- The yearly excise tax is collected by your town and is not included.
- Towns add small agent fees to the state registration fee.
- Tax paid to another state is not credited here because no state page confirms the rule.