Registering a motorcycle in Maine is similar to registering a car. Your motorcycle registration can be completed either at your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) office, or in many cases you may visit your town offices if your municipality issues registrations.

Wherever you go to register, you'll still need to visit your town office beforehand to pay the excise tax. This is true whether the motorcycle was bought from a dealer or a private seller. You'll need to pay this tax at your town office every time you renew, too. That's why it's logical to process your registration at your town office, if possible, rather than making an extra trip to the BMV.

How to Register

Remember to bring the following when you go to register your motorcycle:

• Green dealer's certificate (sales tax paid) and blue title application for bikes over 300cc (motorcycles bought from a dealer).

• Signed bill of sale and the title of your motorcycle, if it is more than 300cc (motorcycles bought from an individual).

• Proof of current insurance for your motorcycle (a valid insurance card).

• White and yellow copies of excise tax receipt and registration application from your town office.

• A check to pay for the registration and sales and excise tax. Registration is $21. Sales tax, paid the first time you register the motorcycle, is 5% of the amount shown on the bill of sale. Excise tax is based on the book value of the motorcycle and usually starts at $24 per $1,000 for new vehicles.

Once you pay all the fees, you'll be issued Maine motorcycle plates and a current registration sticker.

Renewal Process

Renewing a motorcycle registration must be done yearly. You will not receive any reminder about the registration being up for renewal. So mark the date on your calendar and don't forget! It's no fun to be reminded of an expired registration by a police officer.

To renew your registration, you follow the same process at your local BMV office or municipal offices, paying the $21 fee, plus excise tax (which should go down as your book value goes down). Once you pay the fees, you will be issued a new sticker to place on your motorcycle's license plate.

Unfortunately, at this time you may not renew your motorcycle registration using the BMV's online Rapid Renewal system.

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