Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine boat registration
Maine boat registration is handled by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, at a town recreational-vehicle agent. New registrations are done in person and need proof of sales tax. A renewal can be done online when the town is in the rapid renewal program. Residents pay excise tax to the town where they live. A nonresident pays excise tax to the town where the boat is principally moored, if it is in Maine more than 75 days in the year.
Figures checked October 24, 2026. This is a summary of the official pages linked below, not legal advice and not a bill.
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Print this before you file
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Registration prep checklist
Proof of ownership, ID, hull ID, and a blank line for the fee on the official chart. This page does not print a dollar amount for you.
Download the registration checklistFree PDF
Boat transfer checklist
Bill of sale, title versus registration versus CG-1340, the handoff, and a reminder to check your state before you file.
Download the transfer checklistSamples only. State rules vary. This is not legal advice, and it is not the form your agency may require.
Fees from the official chart
A registration is for one calendar year and is valid through December 31. Fees are based on horsepower and on whether the boat is used on inland water or tidal water, not on length.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 horsepower | $41 inland / $16 tidal |
| 11 to 50 horsepower | $46 inland / $21 tidal |
| 51 to 115 horsepower | $52 inland / $27 tidal |
| Over 116 horsepower | $60 inland / $35 tidal |
| Personal watercraft | $60 inland / $35 tidal |
| Temporary transfer | $4 |
Maine prices registration by horsepower, not length, and prints two columns. A motor of 0 to 10 horsepower is $41 on inland water and $16 on tidal water. From 11 to 50 horsepower it is $46 or $21. From 51 to 115 it is $52 or $27. Over 116 horsepower, and a personal watercraft, are $60 or $35. Those amounts include a $1 agent fee. Agents may also charge $1 on a renewal or duplicate and $2 on a new registration, rollover, or transfer. Excise tax is extra and is paid to the town.
Transferring the boat
Bring proof of sales tax to the agent for a new registration. The state fee is the horsepower line above. The town excise tax is a separate bill, and two towns have to have an agreement in place if you are trying to register outside the town that should collect the excise.
IF&W says agents may charge $1 for renewals and duplicates and $2 for new registrations, rollovers, or transfers, on top of the table. A temporary transfer is $4.
Online renewal through maine.gov is only for a boat that was registered before, in a participating town, when excise tax is due. Boats owned by a business cannot use that online renewal. New registrations are in person.
The national boat bill of sale and title transfer guide explains the difference between a bill of sale, a title, and a registration. File with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
What this page does not pin down
- No Maine boat-title fee or title form was found on the IF&W registration page, so none is listed.
- Town excise-tax amounts are local and are not listed.
- A Coast Guard-documentation rule for Maine registration was not on the page reviewed, so none is stated here.
- The horsepower line is printed as "over 116 horsepower." What happens at exactly 116 horsepower is not restated beyond that phrase.
Maine registration questions
Where do I register a boat in Maine?
Maine boat registration is handled by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, at a town recreational-vehicle agent. New registrations are done in person and need proof of sales tax. A renewal can be done online when the town is in the rapid renewal program. Residents pay excise tax to the town where they live. A nonresident pays excise tax to the town where the boat is principally moored, if it is in Maine more than 75 days in the year.
How much does Maine boat registration cost?
Maine prices registration by horsepower, not length, and prints two columns. A motor of 0 to 10 horsepower is $41 on inland water and $16 on tidal water. From 11 to 50 horsepower it is $46 or $21. From 51 to 115 it is $52 or $27. Over 116 horsepower, and a personal watercraft, are $60 or $35. Those amounts include a $1 agent fee. Agents may also charge $1 on a renewal or duplicate and $2 on a new registration, rollover, or transfer. Excise tax is extra and is paid to the town.
How do I transfer a boat title or registration in Maine?
A new Maine registration is done in person at a recreational-vehicle agent, with proof that sales tax was paid. There is no single statewide excise-tax amount. The town sets and collects it. This page did not find a Maine boat-title program on the IF&W registration page. If a seller offers a title from another state, ask IF&W what to file with the new registration instead of assuming Maine will issue a title.
Does Maine issue a boat title?
The IF&W boating page reviewed for this summary explains registration, excise tax, and the lake and river protection sticker. It does not describe a state boat title. Do not invent one. Ask the department if the boat you are buying has a title from somewhere else.
Official pages
Maine IF&W: how to register a boatMaine online boat registration renewal
Check Maine harbor conditionsToday's Go or Nope callAll ten state pagesBoat bill of sale
Reviewed October 24, 2026. Source date code 2026-10-24.