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Maine lien release

Paid off your car in Maine? How the lien comes off the title

When a lender in the electronic program releases the lien electronically, the BMV prints a paper title and mails it to the vehicle owner. For a paper title, Maine law requires the lienholder to execute a release within 14 days of receiving the payoff funds and mail or deliver it to the owner. A title showing the lienholder's signature and date of release is a free and clear title.

See the Maine stepsLender out of business?
Checked against official Maine sourcesLast reviewed Sep 28, 2026. Every fact below links to its source at the end of the page.
After the last payment

What happens to the title in Maine

Maine's electronic lien titling program is voluntary: the Secretary of State cannot require it, and participating lienholders must use it to report releases (and, from January 1, 2026, pay $1.00 per electronic transaction).

When a lender in the electronic program releases the lien electronically, the BMV prints a paper title and mails it to the vehicle owner. For a paper title, Maine law requires the lienholder to execute a release within 14 days of receiving the payoff funds and mail or deliver it to the owner. A title showing the lienholder's signature and date of release is a free and clear title.

Your steps

Getting a clear Maine title

Fee: $33.00 title application fee for a new title without the lienholder listed.

  1. Confirm with your lender that the lien was released and ask whether it releases electronically or on your paper title.
  2. If the lender released electronically, wait for the BMV to mail you a paper title.
  3. If you hold a paper title, check that it shows the lienholder's signature and the date of release; if so, it is already clear.
  4. If the lender gives you a separate Release of Lien (form MVT-12) instead of signing the title, or the title never arrives, contact BMV Title Services at 207-624-9000 ext. 52138 or titles.bmv@maine.gov about getting a new title without the lienholder listed.

Official form: MVT-12 Release of Lien

If the lender is slow

How long the lender has

Maine gives the lienholder 14 days after payoff.

The lienholder must execute a release within 14 days of receiving funds to satisfy the security interest, and the owner can recover $1,000 if it fails to do so and has not said satisfaction is disputed. Source: 29-A M.R.S. 705.

Lender gone or unreachable

If the lienholder is out of business

Compare other states' procedures

Maine law lets the Secretary of State accept a surety bond instead of withholding a title when it is not satisfied about ownership or the absence of security interests; the bond is set at 1.5 times the vehicle's value, runs about 3 years, and protects prior or later owners and lienholders. The BMV publishes a Motor Vehicle Title Surety Bond form. Contact Title Services for lienholder-specific questions.

Official form: MVT-18 Motor Vehicle Title Surety Bond

Optional paid help

Get the Maine lien release finished

Your loan is paid off but the title, the release, or the Maine record still isn't right. We check the path and do the paperwork with you.

  • We find the release path for your state and lender from official sources.
  • We prepare the lien release or clear-title request, and any state form, for you to sign and send.
  • We track the lender and the state until the record shows the lien released.
One-time $89 for a paid-off loan whose title still shows the lien. We show the work, terms, exclusions, and delivery date before payment.
Every guide and official link on this site stays free.
By lender

What your lender says about payoff

Each page covers what the lender publishes about releasing the lien, timing, and contacts.

Official sources

The Maine rules behind this page

Recheck the agency page before you apply. Statute copies from third-party sites are labelled.

Maine title after payoff questions

How long does a lender have to release a lien in Maine?
The lienholder must execute a release within 14 days of receiving funds to satisfy the security interest, and the owner can recover $1,000 if it fails to do so and has not said satisfaction is disputed. Source: 29-A M.R.S. 705.
Will Maine mail me the title after I pay off the loan?
When a lender in the electronic program releases the lien electronically, the BMV prints a paper title and mails it to the vehicle owner. For a paper title, Maine law requires the lienholder to execute a release within 14 days of receiving the payoff funds and mail or deliver it to the owner. A title showing the lienholder's signature and date of release is a free and clear title. Maine's electronic lien titling program is voluntary: the Secretary of State cannot require it, and participating lienholders must use it to report releases (and, from January 1, 2026, pay $1.00 per electronic transaction).
What if my lender went out of business?
Maine law lets the Secretary of State accept a surety bond instead of withholding a title when it is not satisfied about ownership or the absence of security interests; the bond is set at 1.5 times the vehicle's value, runs about 3 years, and protects prior or later owners and lienholders. The BMV publishes a Motor Vehicle Title Surety Bond form. Contact Title Services for lienholder-specific questions.
How much does a clear title cost in Maine?
$33.00 title application fee for a new title without the lienholder listed. Confirm the current fee with the Maine title agency before you apply.