Maine 76 monthly expiration tabs issued in 1975 and utilized on 74 and 75 issued license plates

Undated plates issued to new registrants starting in 1975
The November 76 expiration tab would have been issued in November of 1975 and the November 77 expiration tabs issued in November of 1976


1974 plates with January and October 76 expiration tabs.

December 1976 expiration on Maine 74 plate with sticker well bar in upper right.

There are ten different varities of Maine passenger license plates:

1. 4 digit, 74, with sticker bar, bolt hole in the middle of the M (2074 - 2641
2. 5 digit, 74, with sticker bar, bolt hole in the middle of the M (41-926 - 59-666)
3. 5 digit, 74, no sticker bar, bolt hole in the middle of the M (83-555 - 85-427)
4. 6 digit, 74, no sticker bar, bolt hole in the middle of the M (442-509 - 461-048)
5. 6 digit, No 74, bolt hole in the middle of the M (488-614 - 492-153)
6. 6 digit, 74, no sticker bar, bolt hole to the Left of the M (507-430 - 509-127)
7. 6 digit, No 74, bolt hole to the Left of the M (513-018 - 515-494)
8. 6 digit, No 74, bolt hole in the middle of the M (536-376 - 553-961)
9, 6 digit, No 74. bolt hole to the Left of the M (562-373)
10. 6 digit, No 74, bolt hole in the middle of the M (622-090 - 637-410)

Thanks to John Andree, ALPCA #3589, for the information

This February 76 Maine expiration sample tab that was placed on 74 and 75 sample plates, as shown below

Two types of 1974 sample issued with February 76 sample expiration tabs
The one on the left has an embossed bar line delineating a sticker well for placing expiration tabs
The one on the right does not. The dies appear more spread on the one on the right, also

1974 Maine sample with March 1976 expiration sticker

1975 style sample bases with February 76 sample expiration sticker
The placement of embossed Maine is different in the plates

Two types of 74 commercial plates were issued for Maine with 76 stickers
The wider COM was the standard die for that caption from 1956 on
However, with the wider dies used from 1956 through 1993, there wasn't enough room to continue using the wider COM shown on the right
Therefore, when they rolled the series over to 100,000, they replaced it with the narrower COM, shown to the left above, so all the numbers could be fit in
Even at that the plate was still cramped, and at some point on these series of plates they removed the dash
Eventually, when Maine moved to narrower dies on the plate numbers, they returned to a wider COM
Thanks to Dave Nicholson, ALPCA#7019, Saco, Maine for the information on Maine commercial plates
Of these two types of the 74 base Maine Commercial plates, the sticker on the one of the right for October of 1976 is highly unlikely
All Maine commercial and trailer plates on the 1974 base expired in February, so no October stickers should be issued to these plates.


1975 style Maine commercial base with the embossed 74 removed
This one sports a February 77 expiration sticker that would have been issued in February of 76

1976 Maine State Representative license plate

1976 Maine farm license plate


1974 Maine taxi plate with March 1976 expiration

In 1976, Maine issued this front booster plate for the Bicentennial
It is made of a material called acrylite and is about 3mm thick
Maine residents could buy the plate for $6.25 in 1976 and display it on the front of the car in place of the regular license plate until January 1, 1977

1975 style Maine vanity bases. There appears to be some difference in the embossed dies on these two plates

1974 Maine vanity plate updated with November 75 and 76 expiration stickers



Maine local police and sheriff plates used from March 1976 to February 1977

Maine local and municipal police plate first issued in 1974 is shown on the left
This type was used until it was phased out in 1980-81
The Maine State Police plate on the right was first used in the late 60's through the 70's and into the 80's

1974 Maine trailer plate with February 1976 expiration
1974 Maine trailer plate with February 1977 expiration

1975 Maine trailer plates with February 1976 and 1977 expirations

February 1976 expiration on Maine tractor plate
February 1977 expiration on Maine tractor plate

Maine municipal vehicle plate in use from late December 1973 to February 29, 1980

Maine Antique Auto plate with December 1976 expiration


74 Maine new and used car dealer plates updated with December 76 expiration tabs

1974 Maine transporter plates with December 1976 expirations (among others)

1974 Maine trailer dealer updated with December 76 expiration tab
1974 Maine equipment dealer used through December 1979

1974 Maine boat trailer dealer plate with December 1976 expiration

74 Maine loaner plates used through December 1979

Maine loaner plate sans the 74 in use through December of 1979



Maine 70's style septage conveyor plate with 75 and 76 tabs
Maine 1976 septage conveyor plate

1976 and 1977 February Maine motorcycle expiration tabs updating a 1974 and 1975 type motorcycle plates.
The 1977 tab is placed over a 1976 tab on the right hand plate


1976-77 Maine motorcycle vanity plate

1976 Portland, Maine bicycle license plate

1976 Maine livestock-poultry license plate

Maine motorcycle sized plate with USA 200 embossed on it
It appears to be of a 74-76 vintage, but the ALPCA archive does not show a motorcycle vanity or prototype of this type of issue
It remains somewhat of a mystery at this time
Write me if you have any answers to what this is. In the meantime, the USA 200 on it would make it seem related to 1976

Maine snowmobile sticker expiring on June 30, 1976

Maine snowmobile dealer plate expiring June 30, 1976



1977 expiration stickers issued in 1976

For more on Maine license plates, you can follow these links:




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