Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What are your office hours?
A. Our office is open Monday – Friday 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM.

Q. Why do I need to pay an excise tax?
A. Excise tax is levied by State of Maine law and collected by municipalities for the privilege of operating a motor vehicle on public highways.  An excise tax must be paid each registration year as a prerequisite to registration.

Q. On what types of vehicles is an excise tax due and when is it due?
A. Excise tax must be paid to the municipal tax collector as a prerequisite to registering or reregistering any type of motor vehicle, camper trailer, and sometime even a mobile home.  Motor vehicle means all types and classes of self-propelled vehicles designed for operation on highways.  Camper trailers also include tent trailers.  Slide in truck campers are also subject to excise tax.

Q. What is the amount of excise tax that I will pay for a vehicle registration?
A. It depends.  The amount of excise tax that must be paid each registration year is determined by applying the mill rate to the factory or manufactured suggested list price of the vehicle when it was brand new.  The mill rate decreases as a vehicle gets older until the vehicle is six years old, at which time the excise tax ceases to decrease.

Q. What are the mill rates?
A. $24.00 per thousand dollars of valuation the first year, $17.50 per thousand the second year, $13.50 per thousand the third year, $10.00 per thousand the forth year, $6.50 per thousand the fifth year, and $4.00 per thousand the sixth and subsequent years.

Q. Where can I find the manufactured suggested retail price of a vehicle?
A. Legislation requires “at the time of payment of the excise tax prior to a new registration of a NEW passenger vehicle purchased from a motor vehicle dealer licensed in any state, the owner shall submit the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (also know as the Monroney Label) or a copy of the sticker to the excise tax collector”.  The requirement to present the window sticker for a new vehicle applies only to the purchase or lease of new passenger vehicles, vans, pickup trucks, and utility vehicles. 

Q. What if my car is not brand new?  How can the manufactured suggested retail price be determined?
A. The City of Augusta’s Tax Office uses state-of-the-art computer software that will research the suggested retail price of a motor vehicle by the VIN (vehicle identification number) or by the year/make/model.

Q. Are there any other fees associated with registering a motor vehicle?
A. Yes, the State of Maine requires the payment of a vehicle registration fee on both new and renewal registrations also a sales tax (5% of the purchase price), and a title fee (currently $25.00) for new registrations.  In most instances, a new or used car dealer will collects these fees at the time of purchase.  Casual sales transactions will be assessed these costs at the time of registration.

Q. Do I have to go to a Motor Vehicle branch office to complete the registration process?
A. No, The City of Augusta is a full municipal agent and can complete a new or renewal registration. There is a small agent fee for this service.  In addition, you must provide a current proof of insurance card and the mileage of the motor vehicle when completing the registration at City Center.

Q. Can I have my proof of insurance card or other documents faxed to your office?
A. Yes, Our fax number is (207) 626-2304.  There is a $1.00 per page fee for this service.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. Currently, we only accept cash or personal checks.  Please make all checks payable to the City of Augusta.  If you are paying the fees associated with a new motor vehicle registration (sales tax, title, and registration fees), an additional check will be needed payable to the State of Maine.

Q. Where can I get information regarding the assessed value, exemptions, book and page, or the map and lot associated with my property
A. Just click on the link to the Assessors Office.

Q. Can I get information pertaining to either State of Maine or Federal taxes from your office?
A. No.  The State of Maine and the Internal Revenue Service have their own web pages at:

http://www.irs.gov
http://www.state.me.us/revenue/homepage.html

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