An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §101, sub-§32-A, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and repealed and replaced by c. 688, Pt. B, §8 and affected by §9, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §453, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 434, §9 and affected by §37, is amended to read:
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §456-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 623, §4, is amended to read:
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §456-F, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 703, §10, is amended to read:
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §517, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 490, Pt. D, §2, is further amended to read:
The Secretary of State may issue environmental registration plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the Department of Conservation with authorization from the department's commissioner. The Secretary of State may issue environmental registration plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Baxter State Park Authority with authorization from the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the commissioner's capacity as a member of the Baxter State Park Authority. A state-owned vehicle issued environmental registration plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 455, subsection 4.
The Secretary of State may issue agricultural education plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources with authorization from the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. A state-owned vehicle issued agricultural education plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 456-F, subsection 2.
The Secretary of State may issue lobster plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Marine Resources with authorization from the Commissioner of Marine Resources. A state-owned vehicle issued lobster plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 456-A, subsection 2.
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §517-B is enacted to read:
§ 517-B. Registration exemption for antique farm tractors used in demonstrations, parades, ceremonies and organized charitable events
Farm tractors or farm equipment at least 25 years old, as determined by the model year, are exempt from registration requirements and registration fees when used for demonstrations, ceremonies, parades or organized charitable events.
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §533-A, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2001, c. 361, §15, is further amended to read:
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §651, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2007, c. 466, Pt. A, §47 and affected by §49, is further amended to read:
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §652, sub-§13, as repealed and replaced by PL 1999, c. 470, §9, is amended to read:
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §661, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 361, §22 and affected by §38, is further amended to read:
Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §701, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
Sec. 12. 29-A MRSA §705, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
Sec. 13. 29-A MRSA §903, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2005, c. 433, §12 and affected by §28, is further amended to read:
A motor vehicle dealer who is denied a license renewal under this subsection may not reapply until the license has been expired at least one year.
A motor vehicle dealer who holds a vehicle auction business license under section 1051 is exempt from this subsection.
A motor vehicle dealer who engages primarily in the sale of vehicles more than 15 years old, emergency vehicles or industrial or farm equipment or who sells only trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds is exempt from this subsection.
Sales of vehicles to dealerships under the same ownership must be excluded when determining total sales.
Sec. 14. 29-A MRSA §957, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 5, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 15. 29-A MRSA §1002, sub-§6, ¶C, as amended by PL 1999, c. 470, §15, is further amended to read:
Sec. 16. 29-A MRSA §1102-A is enacted to read:
§ 1102-A. Mobile crushers
A person operating a mobile crusher in this State, whether based in or outside of the State, is subject to the provisions of this subchapter except the provisions of section 1103. The Secretary of State may adopt rules for the permitting of mobile crushers. For purposes of this section, "mobile crusher" means a transportable device that is used to crush motor vehicles.
Sec. 17. 29-A MRSA §1110, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
The operator of a mobile crusher as defined in section 1102-A shall make that operator's records available in this State during normal business hours or in accordance with rules adopted by the Secretary of State.
Sec. 18. 29-A MRSA §1407, as amended by PL 1995, c. 645, Pt. B, §15, is further amended to read:
§ 1407. Change of location or status
When a person, after applying for or receiving a driver's license or registration, moves from the address named in the application or on the license or registration issued or changes name, that person shall, within 10 20 days, notify the Secretary of State, in writing or by other means approved by the Secretary of State, of the old and new addresses or former and new names and of the number of the licenses and registrations held.
Sec. 19. 29-A MRSA §2081, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 60, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 20. 36 MRSA §1482, sub-§1, ¶C, as amended by PL 2001, c. 671, §32, is further amended to read:
(1) On new registrations of automobiles, trucks and truck tractors, the excise tax payment must be made prior to registration and is for a one-year period from the date of registration.
(2) Vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan are subject to an excise tax determined on a monthly proration basis if their registration period is less than 12 months.
(3) For commercial vehicles manufactured in model year 1996 and after the first 5 model years, the amount of excise tax due for trucks or truck tractors registered for more than 26,000 pounds and for Class A special mobile equipment, as defined in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 70, is based on the purchase price in the original year of title rather than on the list price. For the 6th and subsequent model years, the excise tax is based on the maker's list price. Verification of purchase price for the application of excise tax is determined by the initial bill of sale or the state sales tax document provided at point of purchase. The initial bill of sale is that issued by the dealer to the initial purchaser of a new vehicle.
For motor vehicles being registered pursuant to Title 29-A, section 405, subsection 1, paragraph C, the excise tax must be prorated for the number of months in the registration.
Sec. 21. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 533-A, subsection 3, paragraph A and Title 36, section 1482, subsection 1, paragraph C take effect January 1, 2010.
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes to the motor vehicle laws. The bill:
1. Amends the weight limitation for a low-speed vehicle;
2. Allows the Secretary of State to issue agricultural education plates to Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources vehicles and lobster plates to Department of Marine Resources vehicles;
3. Exempts antique farm tractors from registration requirements when used in parades and charitable events;
4. Makes adjustments to the commercial vehicle excise tax reimbursement laws;
5. Clarifies that a title issued for manufactured housing remains in effect unless cancelled, allows a manufactured housing title to be cancelled if the home is permanently affixed to real property and allows rather than requires the Secretary of State to issue a title on used manufactured housing;
6. Allows the Secretary of State to recall an offensive vanity plate;
7. Extends titling requirements to most motor vehicles and trailers to vehicles manufactured in 1995 and after. Currently, only vehicles less than 15 years old are required to be titled;
8. Provides that a duplicate title is not required to be issued until 15 days after the previous title was issued;
9. Clarifies the process for managing additional security interests;
10. Modifies the release of lien process for manufactured housing;
11. Makes adjustments to the dealer plate reduction law;
12. Modifies the attended sales promotion procedures to provide for shorter permit periods at a reduced fee;
13. Increases the maximum weight of a light wrecker from 24,000 to 26,000 pounds for the purpose of determining the dealer plate fee to coincide with commercial driver's license limits;
14. Defines mobile crushers and requires them to be licensed;
15. Increases the time within which a person is obligated to notify the Secretary of State of an address or name change from 10 to 20 days; and
16. Makes a technical correction to the seatbelt requirements.