29-A M.R.S. § 463
This is the official text of 29-A M.R.S. § 463, part of Maine’s M.R.S — part of the compiled statutory law of Maine, published by the state as "M.R.S." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
29-A §463. Disposition of registration plates
Official statutory text
1. Property of State. Registration plates issued by the Secretary of State continue to be the property of the State. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
1-A. Discontinued registration plates. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , a general issue registration plate that is of a design no longer issued by the Secretary of State is the property of the person to whom the plate was issued. [PL 1997, c. 520, §1 (NEW).]
2. Expiration upon transfer or assignment. When the owner of a vehicle transfers or assigns title or interest in a vehicle the registration expires. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
3. Return of registration plate and registration certificate. When a registration certificate is suspended, revoked, canceled or has expired and the owner has no intention to renew or transfer within 6 months, the owner shall remove the registration plates and forward them, along with the registration certificate, to the Secretary of State. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
4. Reassignment of registration number. The registrant may request that plates and the registration number be assigned in the registrant's name to another vehicle. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
5. Unauthorized taking of registration plate. A person commits a Class E crime if that person steals, takes or carries away, without permission or authority, a registration plate from another person entitled to possession of that plate. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
1-A. Discontinued registration plates. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , a general issue registration plate that is of a design no longer issued by the Secretary of State is the property of the person to whom the plate was issued. [PL 1997, c. 520, §1 (NEW).]
2. Expiration upon transfer or assignment. When the owner of a vehicle transfers or assigns title or interest in a vehicle the registration expires. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
3. Return of registration plate and registration certificate. When a registration certificate is suspended, revoked, canceled or has expired and the owner has no intention to renew or transfer within 6 months, the owner shall remove the registration plates and forward them, along with the registration certificate, to the Secretary of State. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
4. Reassignment of registration number. The registrant may request that plates and the registration number be assigned in the registrant's name to another vehicle. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
5. Unauthorized taking of registration plate. A person commits a Class E crime if that person steals, takes or carries away, without permission or authority, a registration plate from another person entitled to possession of that plate. [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maine?
Find a Maine lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.