An Act To Increase the Availability of Handicapped Parking Spaces for People with Disabilities
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0424
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MARLEY
Amends: 29-A MRSA §521, 30-A MRSA §3009

Legislative Document 
No. 424 
H.P.332 
House of Representatives, February 4,2003 
An Act To Increase the Availability of Handicapped Parking Spaces 
for People with Disabilities 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative MARLEY of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
'7J1~ /h.1J?dC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §521, sub-§3, ~B, as amended by PL 1995, c. 
645, Pt. A, §4, is further amended to read: 
B. 
The placard must be blue with white print and contain 
the International Symbol of Access, at least 3 inches high, 
centered on the placard. 
The placard must 
contain the 
permit number, 
the expiration date and the seal of the 
Secretary of State. 
In the case of 
an organization or 
agency, 
the placard must be green with white print and 
contain the same information, except that the name of the 
organization must 
appear 
along with the expiration date 
t;aat;, which must be determined by the Secretary of State. 
The 
expiration date 
may 
not be handwritten. 
A placard 
issued to a person with a disability under this section 
expires in the applicant's month of birth in the 4th year 
following the date of issuance. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §521, sub-s6. ~B, as amended by PL 1995, c. 
645, Pt. A, §5, is further runended to read: 
B. 
The placard must be red with white print and contain the 
International Symbol of Access, 
at least 3 
inches high, 
centered on 
the placard. 
The placard must 
contain the 
permit 
number, 
the 
expiration 
date 
specified 
by 
the 
physician and 
the seal of 
the Secretary of State. 
The 
expiration date may not be handwritten. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §521, sub-§13 is enacted to read: 
13. 
Identification 
cards. 
In 
order 
to 
provide 
certification 
for 
eligibility 
to 
be 
issued 
disability 
registration plates or a placard under this section, 
a person 
must be 
issued an identification card from 
the Secretary of 
State. 
This card must be wallet-sized and display, at a minimum, 
the name of the eligible person and the name and phone number of 
the 
certifying 
physician, 
physician 
assistant 
or 
nurse 
practitioner. 
Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §3009, sub-§l, ~D, as amended by PL 1999, c. 
127, Pt. A, §45, is further amended to read: 
D. 
The following provisions apply to the establishment and 
policing of parking spaces for handicapped persons. 
(1) 
Municipal public parking areas are subject to any 
applicable requirements of the Maine Human Rights Act, 
Title 5, chapter 337, subchapter V 2. 
The municipality 
shall post a sign adj acent to and visible from each 
Page l-LR145l(1) 
handicapped 
parking 
space 
established 
by 
the 
municipali ty. 
The sign must display the international 
symbol for accessibility. 
(2-A) 
Enforcement of handicapped parking restrictions 
must be in accordance with Title 29-A, 
section 521, 
subsection 9-A. 
(3) 
Any vehicle or motorcycle parked in 
a 
parking 
space clearly marked as a handicapped parking space and 
that does 
not bear 
a 
special registration plate or 
placard issued under Title 29-A, section 521 or 523, or 
a similar plate issued by another state, must be cited 
for 
a 
forfeiture 
of 
not 
less 
than 
$100. 
"Clearly 
marked" includes painted signs on pavement and vertical 
standing signs that are visible in existing weather 
conditions. 
(4) 
The municipal officers may establish and enforce 
the time limit for use of a parking space reserved as a 
handicapped parking space on a 
public way or public 
parking area. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that th9 expiration date on a disability 
placard may not be handwritten. 
It creates an identification 
card to certify eligibility for disability registration plates or 
a placard. 
The bill also allows municipalities to apply time 
limits 
to 
on-street 
parking 
spaces 
reserved 
for 
handicapped 
persons.