PLEASE NOTE: The Office of the Revisor of Statutes cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Public Law
124th Legislature
First Regular Session
Chapter 80
H.P. 178 - L.D. 213
An Act To Allow Military Reenlistees To Obtain a Veterans Registration Plate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.   29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 383, §15, is further amended to read:
 
3. Special veterans registration plates.    The Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the registration fee required by section 501, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of special veterans registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 10,000 pounds to any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged or to a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years and continues to serve. If a veteran person who qualifies for a special veterans registration plate under this subsection is the primary driver of 3 vehicles, the Secretary of State may issue in accordance with this section a set of special veterans registration plates for each vehicle.
 
Each application must be accompanied by the applicant’s Armed Forces Report of Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, or certification from the United States Veterans Administration or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the applicant’s military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services verifying active duty military service and length of service.
 
The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
 
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special registration plates is retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
 
The surviving spouse of a special veteran plate recipient issued plates in accordance with this subsection may retain and display the special veteran plates as long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the special veteran plates on a motor vehicle, but may retain them as a keepsake. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the family may retain the special veteran plates, but may not use them on a motor vehicle.
 
The Secretary of State may issue a special disability registration plate for veterans in accordance with section 521, subsections 1, 5, 7 and 9. The special disability registration plate for veterans must bear the International Symbol of Access.
 
The Secretary of State may issue a set of special veterans registration plates when the qualifying veteran is the primary driver of a company-owned vehicle if:
 
A. The company is owned solely by a veteran who qualifies for a veteran plate under this section;
 
B. The vehicle is leased by a veteran who qualifies for the veteran plate under this subsection; or
 
C. The vehicle is leased by the employer of a veteran who qualifies for the veteran plate and the employer has assigned the vehicle exclusively to the veteran. The employer must attest in writing that the veteran will have exclusive use of the vehicle and agrees to the display of the special veteran plate.
Sec. 2.   29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3-A,  as enacted by PL 2007, c. 376, §1, is amended to read:
 
3-A. Motorcycle plates; veterans.    In addition to any plate issued pursuant to subsection 3, the Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, the registration fee required by section 515, subsection 1 and a one-time additional fee of $5, shall issue a registration certificate and a special veterans registration plate for one designated motorcycle owned or controlled by a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged or to a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years and continues to serve.
 
Each application must be accompanied by the applicant’s Armed Forces Report of Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, or certification from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the applicant’s military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services verifying active duty military service and length of service.
 
The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
 
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special veterans registration plates is retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
 
Upon request the Secretary of State shall issue special veterans registration plates for a motorcycle that are also vanity plates. These plates are issued in accordance with this section and section 453. Vanity plates issued under this subsection may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.
 
The surviving spouse of a recipient of a special veterans registration plate issued in accordance with this subsection may retain and display the plate as long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the plate on a motorcycle, but may retain it as a keepsake. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the family may retain the plate, but may not use it on a motorcycle.
 
The Secretary of State may not issue special commemorative decals under subsection 5 or 6 for use on special veterans registration plates for a motorcycle.
Sec. 3.  Special veterans registration plates; inventory; applicants who qualify for a special veterans registration plate and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces. The Secretary of State is not required to purchase or manufacture additional special veterans registration plates if demand by applicants who qualify for special veterans registration plates exceeds the annual supply of special veterans registration plates. If the demand exceeds the annual supply of special veterans registration plates, the Secretary of State shall maintain a waiting list of those who qualify for special veterans registration plates and shall issue plates at the earliest date on which plates are available.
 
Effective September 12, 2009