An Act To Repeal the Provision of Law Requiring Permits for 53-foot Trailers
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1467
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: USHER, HATCH, COLLINS
Amends: 29-A MRSA §511, 29-A MRSA §512, 29-A MRSA §2390

Legislative Document 
No. 1467 
H.P.1072 
House of Representatives, March 27, 2003 
An Act To Repeal the Provision of Law Requiring Permits for 53-
foot Trailers 
Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative USHER of Westbrook. 
Cosponsored by Senator HATCH of Somerset and 
Representatives: COLLINS of Wells, McNEIL of Rockland. 
11J~ 
/h.7llttc~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §511, sub-§I, 1[1[B and C, as amended by PL 
1999, c. 790, Pt. C, §13 and affected by §19, are further amended 
to read: 
B. 
The fee is $18 j1.Q for a camp trailer exc1eeding 2,000 
pounds. 
c. 
The fee is $18 j1.Q for a semi trailer exceeding 2,000 
pounds. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §512, sub-§l, 1[B, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
683, Pt. A, §17 and c. 776, §15, is further amended to read: 
B. 
The fee is $lG ~ 
for each semitrailer, and the fee is 
$5 for each trailer of not more than 2,000 pounds gross 
vehicle weight. 
Fees for the first 3 years of a registration may not be 
refunded. 
Fees for the 4th and subsequent years may be 
refunded 
prior 
to 
the 
start of 
the 
registration 
year 
provided that the registration plate and certificate are 
returned to the Secretary of State. 
After the start of the 
registration year, fees for the current year may be refunded 
if the plate and certificate are returned wi thin 120 days 
and the Secretary of State is satisfied that the credentials 
were not used during the registration period. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §512, sub-§2, 1[A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
A. 
The fee for each registration is $lG ~ per year or 
portion of a year. 
The Secretary of State shall establish a 
procedure 
to 
bill 
each 
registrant 
using 
semipermanent 
semitrailer registrations once annually except the billing 
at the time of purchase of a full 20-year registration must 
be for a 3-year period. 
Fees for the first 3 years are 
nonrefundable. 
A fee for a registration of less than 20 
years must be prorated accordingly. 
If any registrant fails 
to remit the payment in a timely manner, the Secretary of 
State 
shall 
suspend 
all 
registrations 
issued 
to 
that 
registrant pursuant to this subsection. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §2390, sub-§I, 1[J, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
267, §13 and affected by §16, is further amended by repealing 
subparagraph (11). 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §2390, sub-§I, 1[J, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
267, §13 and affected by §16, is further amended by enacting a 
new subparagraph (13) to read: 
(13) 
The maximum gross weight of the truck tractor 
and 
semitrailer 
combination 
may 
not 
exceed 
80,000 
pounds or the maximum gross vehicle weight permitted by 
chapter 21. subchapter 1. whichever is less, whenever 
the vehicle is traveling on the Maine Turnpike or on 
Interstate 95 from the southern terminus of the Maine 
Turnpike to the New Hampshire state line. 
SUMMARY 
This bill increases the annual registration fee for a camp 
trailer or semi trailer exceeding 2,000 pounds from $18 to $20. 
It increases the fee for a semipermanent registration plate from 
$10 to $12 
for each semi trailer and increases the fee for a 
20-year semipermanent semitrailer registration plate from $10 to 
$12 per year for each registration. 
It repeals the requirement 
that a 
53-foot semitrailer permit must be obtained from 
the 
Secretary of State in order for a single semitrailer whose total 
length exceeds 48 feet but does not exceed 53 feet to be operated 
in combination with a truck tractor on certain highways. 
It 
provides that the maximum gross weight of such a vehicle may not 
exceed 
80,000 
pounds 
or 
the 
maximum 
gross 
vehicle 
weight 
permitted by law, 
whichever is less, whenever the vehicle is 
traveling on the Maine Turnpike or on Interstate 95 
from the 
southern terminus of the Maine Turnpike to the New Hampshire 
state line.