Maine · Titles & temp tags

How duplicate titles and transit / temporary plates work in Maine.

Dealer-focused overview of Maine duplicate title requests and the mix of transit plates and 30‑day dealer temporary plates.

High-level dealer workflow Pairs with official Maine references Not legal advice

Duplicate / replacement titles

Maine duplicate title overview

Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues duplicate titles through its Title Unit. Owners can request a duplicate online or via paper application when the original is lost, stolen, or damaged.

Confirm that Maine is the state of record for the vehicle title and that any liens have been properly released.
Owners without a lien may request a duplicate title online through the BMV’s duplicate title service, paying the posted fee.
Where a lien is listed, BMV may require lien release documentation before the duplicate can be issued.
BMV posts current processing times; rush duplicate options may be available with shorter processing windows.

For trades, ask whether a Maine duplicate has already been requested and note any rush fees in your appraisal and title‑cost calculations.

Temporary tags / permits

Maine transit plates and dealer temporary plates

Maine uses transit plates (temporary registration permits) and dealer‑issued temporary plates in different situations.

Transit plates

The Secretary of State can issue temporary registration permits (transit plates) to move vehicles that would otherwise need full registration.
Transit plates can be one‑way or round‑trip and are generally valid for up to 10 days.

Dealer temporary plates

Licensed dealers may issue temporary plates—commonly for 30 days—to buyers while title and registration work is being finalized.
In some cases, the Secretary of State can extend the temporary plate period (for example, by an additional 20 days) if paperwork delays are outside the buyer’s control.
Dealers must log plate numbers and follow BMV dealer-licensing guidance on plate control and recordkeeping.

Your Maine process should clearly distinguish between transit plates for one‑off moves and dealer temp plates tied to retail sales, with separate logs for each.