How Much Does a Car Really Cost in Maine?

Maine figures checked November 4, 2026

The answer up front

For a worked example, use a new full-size pickup at $42,000, the truck Maine buys more than any other used vehicle at the state level. Over five years in Maine, it runs $63,450, or about $1,058 a month. The loan payment alone is $832 a month. The six buckets:

• Value lost: $21,000 ($42,000 minus $21,000 resale)
• Insurance: $8,700 ($1,740 a year x 5 years)
• Fuel: $13,389 (12,000 / 19 x $4.24 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $5,000 ($1,000 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $12,120 ($2,310 sales tax, $900 title and dealer fees, $8,910 loan interest)
• Registration, excise tax and inspections: $3,241 ($3,003 excise tax, $175 registration, $63 inspections)

Maine's twist is the excise tax: unlike most states, the yearly tax is figured on the truck's original sticker price and falls on a set schedule, so the first year stings the most. The break in Maine's favor is insurance, some of the cheapest full coverage in the country, which softens the rest of the bill.

Day one: the flat 5.5% sales tax

Maine charges a flat 5.5% sales tax on a vehicle purchase, and there is no city or county add-on anywhere in the state, the tax is the same in Portland as in a small rural town. On the $42,000 example, the tax is $2,310. One thing that helps: a trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on, trade in a $15,000 truck and the tax falls by $825. The tax applies to new and used vehicles alike.

The bill that comes back every year: the excise tax

Maine's excise tax is a yearly tax paid to your town before you can register the vehicle, figured on the vehicle's original sticker price, not what you paid, and not what it is worth now, at rates set by state law (Title 36, section 1482) that fall as the vehicle ages. On the $42,000 example:

• Year 1: $42,000 x 24 mills = $1,008
• Year 2: $42,000 x 17.5 mills = $735
• Year 3: $42,000 x 13.5 mills = $567
• Year 4: $42,000 x 10 mills = $420
• Year 5: $42,000 x 6.5 mills = $273

That is $3,003 over five years (yearly figures rounded to the nearest dollar). In year six and after, the rate falls to 4 mills, so the bill keeps shrinking the longer you keep the truck. Because the tax is tied to the original sticker price, a truck with expensive options keeps paying excise tax on those options every year, the bill does not reset when the truck's value drops.

Title and plates: the smaller stack

The state's own fees are small: a $33 title fee (one time, for vehicles model year 1995 or newer) and a $35 a year registration fee for a passenger vehicle or a pickup truck registered at 6,000 pounds or less, $175 over five years. Standard plates are included with the registration fee. This example uses the same $900 title-and-dealer-fees allowance as the other state pages on this site. Maine's verified state title fee is $33, and it sits inside that allowance, not on top of it. Maine does not cap dealer fees by law, and one guide puts the average around $499, so a real Maine purchase may cost more or less in dealer fees than the allowance, and the total above would move by the difference.

The yearly inspection: $12.50 a year

Every vehicle registered in Maine must pass an annual safety inspection at a licensed station, covering brakes, steering, tires, lights, glass, exhaust, and more. The fee for a standard passenger vehicle is capped at $12.50, or $62.50 over five years, rounded to $63 in the total. One county exception: vehicles registered in Cumberland County also get an emissions test, bringing the inspection total to $18.50 a year, $92.50 over five years, about $30 more than the standard figure used here. Maine lawmakers have repeatedly voted down bills to end or stretch out the inspection program, so the yearly sticker is part of the cost for the foreseeable future.

Insurance: among the cheapest in the country

Full-coverage insurance, insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others, runs $1,668 to $1,808 a year in Maine across recent 2026 sources. The example uses $1,740 a year, the middle of that range ($1,738) rounded to the nearest $5, or $8,700 over five years. The two sources behind this range are Liberty Mutual (October 2026, $1,668 a year) and CarInsurance.com (August 2026, $1,808 a year). Treat the range as the honest figure, not any single number in it: your own quote will differ by driver, car, and coverage. Maine's minimum coverage law requires $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, matching uninsured motorist coverage, and $2,000 in medical payments. If the truck is financed, as in this example, full coverage is typically required by the lender anyway.

Gas: the Maine state price, labeled as such

Gas here is a snapshot, not a five-year promise: the Maine STATE average was $4.24 a gallon for regular on November 4, 2026 (AAA daily average), versus $4.071 nationally (EIA national average, week ending August 31, 2026), about seventeen cents above the national average. For a truck driving 12,000 miles a year at 19 mpg, that is 631.6 gallons a year, or $13,389 over five years at the snapshot price. Gap, stated plainly: a Portland-only gas average was not established in the sources retrieved, so this page uses the state figure and labels it STATE. Portland-area pump prices run close to the state average, and gas prices move weekly.

What Maine drives

At the state level, the Ford F-150 is Maine's most popular used vehicle, with a 4.2% share in iSeeCars' 2025 state study of 1- to 5-year-old used cars, and an older iSeeCars study put the F-150 first in Maine as well, at 5.6%. No Portland-only or Maine new-vehicle ranking was established in the sources retrieved, so this page labels the figure honestly as a state-level used-vehicle ranking The worked example on this page is a new full-size pickup, not a specific model. SUVs are Maine's most common vehicle type overall, at 50.0% of sales in iSeeCars' state study, with trucks at 24.0%.

A full Maine example: a new full-size pickup

The worked example uses a new full-size pickup at $42,000. Same loan pattern as the other state pages: 10% down ($4,200), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan), 60 months. The financed amount, price plus tax plus the $900 title-and-dealer-fees allowance minus the down payment, is $42,000 + $2,310 + $900 − $4,200 = $41,010, which works out to $832 a month on the loan, with $8,910 of interest over five years. Resale after five years is $21,000 in this example, so depreciation is $21,000.

• Value lost: $21,000 ($42,000 minus $21,000 resale)
• Insurance: $8,700 ($1,740 a year x 5 years)
• Fuel: $13,389 (12,000 / 19 x $4.24 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $5,000 ($1,000 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $12,120 ($2,310 sales tax, $900 title and dealer fees, $8,910 loan interest)
• Registration, excise tax and inspections: $3,241 ($3,003 excise tax, $175 registration, $63 inspections)

That totals $63,450 over five years, or about $1,058 a month. Maine's pattern in one sentence: the day-one tax is low and flat, but the yearly excise tax bills on the sticker price for years, the inspection sticker comes due every year, and the one break, some of the cheapest insurance in the country, keeps the total below most states all the same.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of six buckets: value lost, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tax, fees and interest, and registration, excise tax and inspections. Value lost is the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000. Insurance is $1,740 a year times 5 years, which is $8,700. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 19 miles per gallon, times $4.24 a gallon, times 5 years, which is $13,389. Maintenance is $1,000 a year times 5 years, which is $5,000. Tax, fees and interest is $2,310 of sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, and $8,910 of loan interest, which is $12,120. Registration, excise tax and inspections are $3,241 over five years: $3,003 of excise tax, $175 of registration, and $63 of inspections.

Added together, $21,000 plus $8,700 plus $13,389 plus $5,000 plus $12,120 plus $3,241 equals $63,450, or about $1,058 a month. The financed amount is the $42,000 price plus $2,310 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $4,200 down payment, which is $41,010. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $41,010 is $832 a month, and the loan costs $8,910 in interest over five years.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. Maine. Tax, titling, registration, and insurance rules are set by your state and town, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. Maine charges a flat 5.5% sales tax with no city or county add-on, then a yearly excise tax on the truck's original sticker price, paid to your town before you can register.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, a new full-size pickup at $42,000, 10% down, 8% APR, 60 months. Maine sales tax 5.5% ($2,310, no trade-in), $900 in title and dealer fees, gas at the $4.24 Maine STATE AAA average from November 4, 2026, insurance at the $1,740 example value, $1,000 a year maintenance, $21,000 resale after five years, excise tax on the Title 36, section 1482 schedule (24, 17.5, 13.5, 10, and 6.5 mills), registration $35 a year, inspection $12.50 a year.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Not in this total: any dealer fee above the $900 allowance, since Maine does not cap dealer fees by law and one guide puts the average around $499; and the Cumberland County emissions difference, about $30 over five years, since vehicles registered in Cumberland County also get an emissions test. A Portland-only gas average for the same week was not established in the sources retrieved, so this page uses the state figure and labels it STATE. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and local rates vary by driver and address. Get a real quote for the same car, coverage, and loan before you decide.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Maine Title 36, section 1482 excise tax schedule, 24, 17.5, 13.5, 10, and 6.5 mills; Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, title $33, registration $35 a year, inspection capped at $12.50 a year; AAA Maine state gas $4.24 a gallon, November 4, 2026; full-coverage insurance $1,668 to $1,808 a year; Liberty Mutual, October 2026, and CarInsurance.com, August 2026; iSeeCars 2025 state study.

Primary sources: Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles; AAA gas prices. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Sales tax. The tax you pay when you buy a car. Maine charges a flat 5.5% sales tax on a vehicle purchase, with no city or county add-on anywhere in the state. On the $42,000 example, the tax is $2,310.

Trade-in. Your old car, counted toward the price of the new one. A trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on: trade in a $15,000 truck and the tax falls by $825.

Excise tax. A yearly tax paid to your town before you can register the vehicle, figured on the vehicle's original sticker price, not what you paid, at rates set by state law (Title 36, section 1482) that fall as the vehicle ages: 24 mills in year one, 17.5 in year two, 13.5 in year three, 10 in year four, and 6.5 in year five. On the $42,000 example, the five-year excise tax is $3,003.

Mill. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of value. Year one on the $42,000 example is $42,000 times 24 mills, which is $1,008.

Title fee. The one-time fee to put the car in your name. The title fee is $33 for vehicles model year 1995 or newer, and it sits inside the $900 title and dealer fees allowance, not on top of it.

Registration. The yearly fee for the license plate. The registration fee is $35 a year for a passenger vehicle or a pickup truck registered at 6,000 pounds or less, $175 over five years.

Safety inspection. The yearly check that a car is roadworthy. Every vehicle registered in Maine must pass an annual safety inspection at a licensed station, covering brakes, steering, tires, lights, glass, exhaust, and more, capped at $12.50 for a standard passenger vehicle.

Emissions test. A check that the car's exhaust is clean enough. Vehicles registered in Cumberland County also get an emissions test, bringing the inspection total to $18.50 a year.

Full-coverage insurance. Insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others. In Maine it runs $1,668 to $1,808 a year across recent 2026 sources, and the example uses $1,740 a year, the middle of that range rounded to the nearest $5.

Minimum coverage. The least insurance the law requires. Maine's minimum coverage law requires $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, matching uninsured motorist coverage, and $2,000 in medical payments.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%. For context, Experian reported average rates of 6.35% on new cars and 11.19% on used cars in the second quarter of 2026.

Depreciation. The value the car loses over time. On this page, the $42,000 price minus the $21,000 resale value after five years, which is $21,000.

Common questions

What is the cost of owning a car in Maine?

For the worked example on this page, a new full-size pickup at $42,000, the five-year cost in Maine is $63,450, about $1,058 a month. Your number will differ with the vehicle, the loan, and your insurance quote.

How much is sales tax on a car in Maine?

Maine charges a flat 5.5% sales tax on a vehicle purchase, with no city or county add-on anywhere in the state. A trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on. On the $42,000 example, the tax is $2,310.

What is Maine's yearly excise tax?

Maine charges a yearly excise tax based on the vehicle's original sticker price, at rates that fall as the vehicle ages: 24 mills per $1,000 in year one, 17.5 in year two, 13.5 in year three, 10 in year four, and 6.5 in year five. On the $42,000 example, the five-year excise tax is $3,003.

Does Maine require a yearly inspection?

Yes. Every vehicle registered in Maine must pass an annual safety inspection, which costs up to $12.50 for a standard passenger vehicle. Vehicles registered in Cumberland County also get an emissions test, bringing the total to $18.50. Over five years, inspections add $63 to this example.

How much is car insurance in Maine?

Full coverage in Maine runs about $1,668 to $1,808 a year across recent 2026 sources. This example uses $1,740 a year, the middle of that range rounded to the nearest $5. Maine is one of the cheapest states for car insurance in the country. Your own quote is what matters.

Related: see where Maine lands in the cheapest and priciest states roundup.

Related: a popular car in Maine, run through the same five-year math: F-150.

Related: the pickup behind the example: what it costs to own a pickup truck and what car insurance costs.

See the same math for other cities

The same example pattern, run with each place's own costs: Texas, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Newark, Washington DC, and Detroit, Minnesota, Canada, Wyoming, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, and New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Figures from Maine Revised Statutes Title 36, section 1482 (excise tax schedule) and Title 29-A (registration and inspection), Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles fee guidance, AAA Maine state gas average (November 4, 2026), Maine insurance sources (Liberty Mutual, CarInsurance.com, 2026), and iSeeCars state popularity studies. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and dealer documentation fees vary by driver, car, and dealer, the structure above is the part that does not change.