Dealer: A person engaged in the business of buying, selling, exchanging, offering to negotiate, negotiating, or advertising the sale of a vehicle or industrial equipment.
Equipment Dealer: A person engaged in the manufacturing or buying and selling of: farm tractors with engines in excess of 40 horsepower, farm equipment, construction vehicles or equipment, or industrial vehicles or equipment. Unless otherwise prohibited, equipment dealer plates may be attached only for demonstration, emergency, and service purposes.
Light Trailer Dealer: A person engaged in the manufacturing or buying and selling of trailers or semi-trailers with an unladen gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less.
Loaner: A vehicle owned by a body shop, transmission shop, or garage for the sole purpose of loaning the vehicle to a customer when the customer's vehicle is being repaired. A dealer or an owner of a body shop, transmission shop, or garage may apply for a loaner license and plates.
New Vehicle Dealer: A dealer whose primary business is buying and selling new motor vehicles and who has a franchise from a distributor or manufacturer.
Recycler: A person engaged in the business of purchasing or acquiring salvage vehicles for the purpose of reselling the vehicles or reselling parts of the vehicle, rebuilding or repairing the vehicles for resale, or selling the vehicles' basic materials.
Transporter: A garage owner, towing business, body shop, finance company, bank, recycler or repossession company licensed by the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection may be issued transporter plates and a license to transport a vehicle owned by, or in the custody of, that owner of business. A transporter plate may not be issued in lieu of registration, to loan to another, for personal reason or used on a towing vehicle.
Vehicle Auction: Selling a vehicle by bidding at public or private sales.
Wrecker: A vehicle or equipment dealer may operate a wrecker with a dealer wrecker plate if the wrecker is used only in direct connection with the service or repair business of said dealer. A wrecker plate may not be used in commercial towing. This wrecker plate carries a 26,000-pound weight limit. A heavy wrecker plate carriers an 80,000-pound weight limit.
You may contact the BMV Dealer Section with questions or comments at: 207-624-9000, ext. 52143 or dealerlicensing.bmv@maine.gov