Maine Closing Costs for Buyers: How Much You'll Pay

Transfer tax in Maine

Maine has no separate county-level transfer or recordation tax; the Real Estate Transfer Tax under 36 M.R.S. chapter 711-A is a single statewide tax collected by the county Registers of Deeds when the deed is recorded, split evenly between the registers' county and the state.

Who pays: Statutory 50/50 split between grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer), per 36 M.R.S. 4641-A(1)(B), this is a hard statutory default, not merely a custom, though a purchase and sale agreement can reallocate it by private agreement. Source

Worked example: On a $390,400 home: total transfer tax = $390,400 / 500 x $2.20 = $1,717.76 (rounding the value up to the next $500 increment per the statute's 'fractional part of $500' rule would make it $390,500 / 500 x $2.20 = $1,718.20). Split statutorily in half, the buyer's share is about $858.88-$859.10 and the seller's share is the same.

How much is title insurance in Maine?

On a $390,400 home in Maine, an owner's title policy costs about $1,369 and the lender's policy about $225 when both are issued together (the simultaneous-issue discount). The buyer customarily pays for the owner's policy and the lender's policy. Maine is a filed-competitive state: each title insurer files its own rates, so premiums differ by company and it pays to get two quotes. Premiums computed from First American Title Fee Calculator (filed rates), Cumberland County, Maine, read September 11, 2026.

Who pays the owner's policy: buyer (First American's calculator default allocation for Cumberland County; negotiable by contract) Source

Owner's policy on the full $390,400 price and the lender's policy on an 80% loan ($312,320), quoted together so the simultaneous-issue rate applies; First American filed rates for Cumberland County. NOT VERIFIED.

Maine-specific buyer costs on a $390,400 home

These are the line items set by Maine law or filed rates. Lender fees, appraisal, escrow and prepaid taxes and insurance come on top and depend on your loan.

Do you need a closing attorney in Maine?

Not required. Maine does not statutorily require an attorney to conduct a residential closing. Under 33 M.R.S. 203, a deed must be acknowledged before recording, but that acknowledgment can be made before a notary public in the State or before an attorney-at-law, a notary public alone (who need not be an attorney) is sufficient. In practice many Maine closings are still handled by an attorney or a title company, but this is customary rather than a legal mandate. Source

Recording fees

Recording the deed costs $35 and the mortgage $35 at the Cumberland County Registry of Deeds (fee amounts are set statewide by 33 M.R.S. 751 and apply the same at every Maine county registry of deeds, including Cumberland, Maine's most populous county). Fee schedule

Other Maine specifics

• High-value transfer tax surcharge (effective 11/1/2025). For deeds where the value of the property transferred exceeds $1,000,000, an additional transfer tax of $3.80 per $500 (0.76%) applies to the portion of value above $1,000,000, on top of the base $2.20-per-$500 rate, this will not affect a median-priced Maine home but matters for luxury/coastal purchases. Source
• Registry of deeds flat recording fee restructuring (effective 1/1/2026). Maine recently replaced its old per-page recording fee ($19 for the first page plus $2 per additional page) with a flat $35 fee per instrument recorded (or $25 for instruments recorded at the request of the state or a municipality), effective January 1, 2026, the $35 figure used in recording_fees reflects this new flat-fee law. Source

How much are closing costs in Maine?

For a buyer, closing costs usually run 2% to 5% of the purchase price. On Maine's median-priced home (about $390,400), that is roughly $7,808 to $19,520, and it is separate from your down payment. The exact figure depends on your lender, your loan, and local taxes.

What closing costs include

Closing costs are a bundle of one-time fees due at settlement: lender or origination fees, an appraisal, title insurance, escrow and settlement fees, recording fees and any Maine transfer tax, plus prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance.

Why Maine closing costs vary

The single biggest reason closing costs differ from state to state is transfer taxes, which states and sometimes counties and cities charge on the sale. Title insurance customs and whether an attorney is required at settlement also matter.

How a rebate offsets Maine closing costs

Buyer commission rebates are legal in Maine. Because a rebate can be paid as a credit at closing, it can erase a meaningful share of these costs. On a $390,400 home, a 2% rebate is about $7,808, often enough to cover much of the closing bill.

See Maine buyer rebates and how to get one →

Sources

• Maine transfer tax statute
• First American Title Fee Calculator (filed rates), Cumberland County, Maine, read September 11, 2026
• Maine closing attorney rule
• Cumberland County Registry of Deeds (fee amounts are set statewide by 33 M.R.S. 751 and apply the same at every Maine county registry of deeds, including Cumberland, Maine's most populous county) recording fees
• Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, 4641: Definitions (Real Estate Transfers chapter)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: buyer closing costs are typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price

Maine figures last verified against official sources on September 11, 2026.