I was considering doing an out of state car registration to get around some BS emissions laws regarding New Diesel cars in 2004, and I was wondering what is Maine's policy on emissions and inspections?  My friend had a rally car registered there as a non resident but the car in question is a mid 80s car.  He did not get it inspected but I do not know if this is due to its age or if no cars need to be inspected.  can any Maine members shed some light on this?

Thanks in advance

I just moved back to Maine after having lived in Missouri and Oregon for the last few years.  I havn't registered my car yet but will be shortly.  I'm not really sure how out of state registration works, but I do know that inspections are a breeze if you know the right place to go.  Some stations will do a complete check and be real anal about it, others just ask you to start the car and if it starts you pass.  It is just a matter of finding the right gass station.  Good luck.

Although I live in NH, I own a business in Maine.  Registration will be expensive in ME, as they will charge you sales tax.  The southern counties, I believe, have emission testing, where the Northern counties do not.

I would highly recomend registering in NH if you could.  

Quoted: Although I live in NH, I own a business in Maine.  Registration will be expensive in ME, as they will charge you sales tax.  The southern counties, I believe, have emission testing, where the Northern counties do not. I would highly recomend registering in NH if you could.

Do you know the prices in maine vs prices in NH?  Does NH allow non resident registration?

I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
It's registration time for me now, so I asked our town clerk (where we go to re-register) if NH allowed out of state registrations.  They do not.
You would have to either own property or show a copy of a lease, utility bills etc. in order to register in NH.

Sorry.

The short story:

You will get a phone call from the RMV challenging you if you list an out-of-state address on your Application for Title.

Sales tax is 6%. Yearly registration is $25 and you are assessed your exise tax and agent fee at the same time.  Registrations are good for 1 year. Auto insurance is mandatory and proof of insurance must be displayed at initial registration and for each subsequent renewal.

Vehicles must be inspected yearly.  If a car is registered in Cumberland County (Portland area) it MUST be inspected at an inspection station also in Cumberland County where they also perform an emissions test.  1996 and later vehicles get a computer-measured emissions test, 1974-1995 vehicles get a test to make sure the gas cap seals properly. Depending on how effective this is long-term in improving air quality the EPA may extend the areas in the state that require testing (a big part of air quality problems in the region is due to emissions from the Midwest being carried here due to the prevailing winds).

The state does also perform roadside opacity emissions inspections on diesel trucks with GMV greater than 18,000 lbs.

If your friend isn't getting his car inspected he's either choosing not to do so, or his car is registered under some strange category that I'm not aware of.  All cars with normal registrations have to undergo the yearly safety inspection.

New Hampshire used to also let you register your car in NH even if you were a non-resident as long as you were a full-time student at a NH college, but I don't know if this is still true or not.