The thrill of buying your dream car is both understandable and exciting. However, before you finalize any deal, especially with a used vehicle, it's crucial to take a step back and conduct a thorough license plate search.
For residents of Maine, a detailed Maine license plate lookup can unveil essential information about the car's history, such as odometer readings, accident records, and specific vehicle details. These insights are invaluable and can significantly impact your decision.
To protect yourself from any potential hidden issues and unforeseen malfunctions, use our VinFreeCheck tool. It’s a free service that provides comprehensive and current details about any vehicle registered in Maine. Simply enter the license plate number, and you’ll receive a complete report in an instant. Easy as 123. Make informed decisions and ensure your next vehicle purchase is a smart one with VinFreeCheck.
💡 Did You Know?
The NHTSA reports that each year, approximately 452,000 used cars are sold in the U.S with tampered odometer readings.
Where Is My Maine License Plate Number?
For cars, you can find the license plate at the front and rear of the vehicle. However, for trailers and motorcycles, it is affixed only at the back. Against the reflective white surface of the plate is a mix of letters and numbers - these characters represent your license plate number.
You can also find this information on the vehicle’s registration certificate issued by the Maine BMV.
How Do I Get A License Plate in Maine?
In Maine, you could only obtain the license plate once the vehicle registration process is complete. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting your vehicle registered and obtaining a license plate:
Pay the Excise Tax: Visit your local municipal office to pay the excise tax. For new vehicles, you will need to present the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) label.
Gather Necessary Documents: Prepare the following essential documents:
- Bill of sale from the dealer
- Blue title application (for vehicles from model year 1995 or newer)
- Proof of insurance (ID card, binder, or policy)
- White and yellow copies of the registration application
- Receipt for the excise tax paid at the municipal office
Visit Your Local Municipal Office: Take all the relevant documents to your local municipal office. Note that not all town offices participate in the vehicle registration program. If your local office does not, you will need to visit a nearby Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) branch.
License Plate Preference and Payment: After handling the documentation, you can choose your license plate preference and pay the necessary fees. You can make this request in person or via mail.
Submit License Plate Request: To request a license plate, visit the Maine BMV website and submit your documents to the following address: Maine 1300 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.
Temporary Plates: While your permanent plates are being processed, you will need temporary plates to drive legally. These can be obtained from the BMV or the dealership where the vehicle was purchased and are valid for 14 days.
Remember, every vehicle owner in Maine must apply for a license plate within 30 days of purchasing a vehicle. This ensures you’re compliant with state regulations and can legally drive your new or used vehicle.
What Are the Different Types of Plates?
Standard Issue Plate: In Maine, the default license plate option when registering a vehicle at the BMV is the Chickadee plate. These plates come in various classifications, including Antique, Commercial, Disability, Special Equipment, and Combination.
Personalized Plates: Vehicle owners have the option to customize their license plates according to their preferences, within certain guidelines:
- Plates must include up to 7 characters and at least one letter.
- You can use letters, numbers, and spaces.
- Avoid vulgar or offensive language, as the government reserves the right to reject such plates.
- The text cannot imply affiliation with any public institution.
- Your chosen plate number must not duplicate an existing registered plate.
- There is a $25 fee for ordering a personalized plate.
Specialized Plates: Maine also offers specialized plates for those who wish to express their support for specific causes, organizations, or interests. Options include:
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- University of Maine
- Lobster Specialized
- Ex-Prisoner of War
- Maine Agriculturalist
- Antique
- Classic Car
- Maine Black Bear
- War Veterans
- Support Animal Welfare
These specialized options allow individuals to personalize their vehicle's identity further and support causes important to them.
What's in the License Plate Lookup Report?
A license plate lookup provides you with relevant data on the vehicle you intend to purchase or have already purchased. Information you will be able to access includes:
Accident Report: This record informs you of whether the car has ever been involved in any accidents. If the accident was major, you might want to carry out a proper check on every area of the vehicle. You might find possible damage that could affect the vehicle's performance. If so, you would do well not to purchase the vehicle.
Previous Owners: As a buyer, you may want to know the vehicle's previous owners and the duration in which they owned the vehicle for. The report can give you up-to-date information for both of those queries.
Flood Records: Informs you of any history of damage from floods. If you find the vehicle was damaged by floods, you need to find out how much potential damage the vehicle may have undergone and what repairs were made to restore its condition.
Market Value: Many buyers have been swindled considerable amounts because they were ignorant about the true worth of the vehicle being purchased. A license plate report will reveal the actual market price of the vehicle you're looking at.
Vehicle Specification: Provides you with all the information you need about the vehicle’s make, year of manufacture, its model and VIN. You need to have adequate information about the car you intend to buy before going ahead to make a deposit.
Lien Records: As the trend of selling out vehicles with an existing lien increases, car buyers need to be extra careful when shopping around for a vehicle. Use VinFreeCheck to find out if the car you intend to buy has been used as collateral for a loan, or as a rental car unit.
Odometer Record: Odometer fraud is becoming increasingly popular, but this can in fact be avoided with a quick license plate search. This report informs you if the odometer of the vehicle has ever been tampered with. Odometer tampering is done as a means to deceive buyers into thinking the vehicle has been used for less than it actually has.
Why Should You Get the Report?
Vehicle fraud is alarmingly common in the U.S., highlighting the critical need for prospective buyers to perform comprehensive checks on vehicles they are considering to buy. A license plate lookup offers invaluable insights for buyers prior to making a decision.
Detailed reports on a vehicle's history, including accident and flood records, along with specific characteristics, equip buyers with the necessary information to navigate potential pitfalls. Discovering prior damage or ongoing mechanical issues might lead you to reconsider the purchase or negotiate a reduced price, thereby preempting future repair costs.
License plate lookups also prove essential in situations involving hit-and-run incidents or suspected vehicle theft, which have notably increased in Maine. According to recent data from the Maine State Police, there has been an alarming 600% surge in vehicle thefts from 2022 to 2023.
VinFreeCheck offers a free, robust license plate lookup service, drawing on reliable sources such as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) and The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This service ensures you receive accurate and current information, safeguarding your vehicle investments.
Is it Legal to Lookup a License Plate?
Indeed, it is. Our service adheres strictly to privacy laws. We comply with the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), which prohibits the disclosure of a vehicle owner's private information. Additionally, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows individuals to access information held by the government. We ensure that our data, sourced from reputable public records such as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), is both valid and legally obtained.