Maine Bill of Sale for a Car
A bill of sale is required to title or register a privately purchased car in Maine. Maine BMV requires a signed bill of sale from the seller to register a vehicle purchased in a private sale (used to document the price for the 5.5% sales tax and title/registration).
Verified against official Maine sources · 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
Bill of sale
Required
Bill of sale notary
No
Official form
Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale
Official form: Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale (Maine BMV, no form number) · Free printable Maine template →
What a Maine car bill of sale must include
- Seller and buyer names (printed)
- Purchase price
- Vehicle year, make, model, VIN, body type, and color
- Odometer reading and mileage certification
- Certification that there is no active lienholder
- Seller's address, signatures, and date
The official Maine bill of sale form includes a built-in odometer disclosure statement (reading plus actual-mileage certification), consistent with the federal requirement for vehicles under 20 model years old.
Before you sign: run the VIN
Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours. The $9.99 Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model, and the original window sticker where available, in about a minute. One-time, no subscription. Run the report →
FAQ
Do you need a bill of sale to sell a car privately in Maine?
Yes. Maine BMV requires a signed bill of sale from the seller to register a vehicle purchased in a private sale (used to document the price for the 5.5% sales tax and title/registration).
Does a Maine car bill of sale have to be notarized?
No. Maine does not require a car bill of sale to be notarized for a standard private sale.
Is there an official Maine bill of sale form?
Yes — Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale (Maine BMV, no form number) (linked above). You can also use any document that contains the same information.
What should a Maine car bill of sale include?
At minimum: seller and buyer names (printed); purchase price; vehicle year, make, model, vin, body type, and color; odometer reading and mileage certification; certification that there is no active lienholder; seller's address, signatures, and date. The official Maine bill of sale form includes a built-in odometer disclosure statement (reading plus actual-mileage certification), consistent with the federal requirement for vehicles under 20 model years old.
What should I check before signing the Maine bill of sale?
Confirm the VIN on the document matches the dashboard and door-jamb VIN character-for-character, and check the vehicle's history first: the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model and the original window sticker where available. Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours, so they're cheaper to find before you sign.
Sources: bill-of-sale, notarization, and odometer requirements from Maine DMV/DOR/DOT guidance (linked above). Requirements change by statute — confirm with the state before you sign. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Maine Bill of Sale for a Car," carwhere.com/titles/bill-of-sale/maine, verified 2026-07-08.