New Pine Tree License Plates

Published on January 06, 2025

Beginning May 1, 2025, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles will introduce a new state license plate design — the Pine Tree Plate — impacting the majority of Maine residents. 

The current standard issue plate, the Chickadee license plate, has been in circulation for over 25 years. In 2023, the law was amended requiring the BMV to issue a replacement to all Chickadee plates.

These are the two new license plate designs:

Pine Tree and the North Star accompanying a blue identification number and letter combination:

Classic plain design that retains the blue identification number and letter combination, but removes the Pine Tree and North Star

From May 2025 to April 2026 when an individual renews their chickadee plate registration, they will receive a new plate with a new identification number free of charge. The Pine Tree license plate will replace all standard issue license plate classes, while the “No Tree” is only available to the passenger car (PC) class license plates.

Reserving Your Current Chickadee License Plate Number

Anyone who would like to keep their current license plate number of any reason may do so for a fee of $25. Those with vanity, low-digit and out-of-rotation Chickadee license plates must reserve their current plate number if they wish to maintain it, and the $25 fee applies.

There are four convenient ways to reserve a Chickadee license plate number: 

1. Go to maine.gov/online/reservemyplate.
   • This option is only available 30 days prior to a registration's month of expiration from May 2025 - June 2026.
2. By going through BMV's Rapid Renewal online service.
   • It will prompted you as you re-register.
3. Walking in or making an appointment at a BMV branch to work directly with their staff.
   1. Make an appointment with BMV
4. Print and complete the BMV Plate Reservation Form and mail it to 29 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333-0029.