Does Maine require a front license plate?

Yes. Maine law requires a plate on the front and the rear of passenger vehicles.

What does a Maine plate number look like?

New plates have three numbers and three letters, like 123 ABC. Older Chickadee plates have four numbers and two letters, like 1234 AB.

Do I have to replace my Chickadee plate?

Yes. Owners get new plates at their next registration after May 1, 2025, and the state planned to have all Chickadee plates off the road by May 2026. The new plates are free, and keeping your old number costs $25.

How long is a Maine temporary plate good for?

Thirty days from the sale. In some cases the Secretary of State can extend it by 20 days.

Can I get a VIN from a Maine license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with Maine selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a Maine license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Maine vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

Maine License Plate Lookup

Enter a Maine plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

In May 2025 Maine replaced the Chickadee plate it had used for 25 years with two standard designs: the Pine Tree plate, with a pine tree and the North Star, and a plain No Tree plate for passenger cars. The new plates come with a new plate number unless the owner pays $25 to keep the old one. Most people register at their town office.

Maine plate to VIN

A Maine platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

Maine license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
123 ABC	Three numbers and three letters, on the Pine Tree and No Tree plates issued since May 2025.
1234 AB	The Chickadee plate, issued from 1999 and replaced from May 2025.

Maine requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in Maine

Plates and registrations in Maine come from the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and people go in person to town offices and BMV branch offices. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the BMV or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in Maine

Maine dealers attach a temporary plate to the rear of a car they sell, good for 30 days. The Secretary of State can extend it by 20 days in some cases.

Personalized and specialty plates

Maine calls them vanity plates. A passenger plate can have up to seven characters plus one dash or space, and the BMV website lets you check whether a combination is available.

Tree or no tree

Maine owners can choose between two standard plates at no extra cost: the Pine Tree design or the plain No Tree design. The No Tree option is only for passenger cars.

What a Maineplate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

Maine plate lookup questions

Does Maine require a front license plate?: Yes. Maine law requires a plate on the front and the rear of passenger vehicles.
What does a Maine plate number look like?: New plates have three numbers and three letters, like 123 ABC. Older Chickadee plates have four numbers and two letters, like 1234 AB.
Do I have to replace my Chickadee plate?: Yes. Owners get new plates at their next registration after May 1, 2025, and the state planned to have all Chickadee plates off the road by May 2026. The new plates are free, and keeping your old number costs $25.
How long is a Maine temporary plate good for?: Thirty days from the sale. In some cases the Secretary of State can extend it by 20 days.
Can I get a VIN from a Maine license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with Maine selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a Maine license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Maine vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.