An Act To Amend the Laws Regulating Street Rods and Custom Vehicles
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1163
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: TRAHAN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §457, 29-A MRSA §527, 29-A MRSA §669, 29-A MRSA §1752

Legislative Document 
No. 1163 
H.P.806 
House of Representatives, March 8, 2005 
An Act To Amend the Laws Regulating Street Rods and Custom 
Vehicles 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative TRAHAN of Waldoboro. 
Printed on recycled paper 
17/~/J1.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 29-A MRSA §IOI, sub-§9-A is enacted to read: 
9-A. 
Blue dot taillight. 
"Blue dot taillight" means a red 
lamp installed as a taillight in the rear of a motor vehicle 
containing a blue or purple insert that is not more than one inch 
in diameter. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §IOI, sub-§19-A is enacted to read: 
19-A. 
Custom vehicle. 
"Custom vehicle" 
means 
a 
motor 
vehicle that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 
1948 or a motor vehicle that was manufactured to resemble a motor 
vehicle that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 
1948 and that has been altered from the manufacturer's original 
design or has a body constructed from nonoriginal material. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §IOI, sub-§76, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pte B, §S, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
76. Street rod. 
"Street rod" means a motor vehicle that was 
manufactured in or before 1949 or a motor vehicle manufactured 
after 1948 to resemble a vehicle manufactured in or before 1948 
and that has been altered from the manufacturer's original design 
or has a body constructed of nonoriginal material. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §457, sub-§§l and 3, as enacted by PL 1993, 
c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §S, are amended to read: 
1. 
Antique vehicle registration plates authorized. 
The 
Secretary of State may issue registration plates for antique 
autos, 
custom vehicles, 
horseless 
carriages, 
street 
rods 
or 
antique motorcycles. 
These plates must bear 
the inscription 
"Maine" 
and the inscription "Antique Auto," 
"Custom Vehicle, " 
"Horseless Carriage" or "Street Rod" or, for antique motorcycles, 
the inscription "Antique." 
3. 
Contemporary plates. 
An 
owner 
of 
an antique auto, 
custom 
vehicle, 
horseless 
carriage, 
street 
rod 
or 
antique 
motorcycle may use registration plates that were issued in the 
same year the antique vehicle was manufactured, as long as the 
motor vehicle: 
A. 
Is over 25 years old; 
B. 
Is registered as an antique vehicle; and 
Page l-LR1449(1) 
C. 
Carries 
a 
valid antique 
motor 
vehicle 
registration 
certificate and plates. 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §457, sub-§5, as enac ted by PL 19 9 3, c. 683, 
Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is repealed. 
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §457, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, 
Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
6. 
Application. 
An 
application 
for 
registration of 
a 
vehicle under this section or section 527 must be accompanied by 
an affidavit that includes a statement of the age and intended 
use of the motor vehicle and that the vehicle is garaged or 
maintained in the State. 
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Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §457, sub-§7, as amended by PL 1999, c. 790, 
Pt. C, §1 and affected by §19, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Registration fee. 
The 
fee 
for 
registration of 
an 
antique auto, horseless carriage or antique motorcycle is $15. 
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Sec.8. 29-A MRSA §527 is enacted to read: 
§521. 
Street rods and custom vehicles 
1. Registration fee. 
The Secretary of State shall issue a 
one-time registration for a street rod or custom vehicle upon 
payment of a fee determined by the Secretary of State. 
2. Certification. 
Upon application for registration of a 
motor vehicle under this section, the owner of the motor vehicle 
shall certify that the owner understands that the motor vehicle 
may be used only for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club 
activities, parades, tours and similar uses and may be used for 
general daily transportation only after passing a full safety 
inspection under subsection 3. 
3. Safety inspection. 
Upon application for registration of 
a motor vehicle under this section, an owner of a street rod or 
custom 
vehicle 
that 
is 
to 
be 
used 
for 
general 
daily 
transportation shall provide proof acceptable to the Secretary of 
State that the motor vehicle passed a safety inspection approved 
by the Secretary of State. 
4. 
Equipment. 
Unless 
the 
presence 
of 
equipment 
is 
specifically required by law as a condition of sale in the year 
listed as the year of manufacture on the certificate of title of 
a motor vehicle registered under this section, the presence of 
any specific eguipment is not reguired for the operation of a 
vehicle registered under this section if the reguirements of 
subsection 3 have been met. 
A motor vehicle may use a blue dot 
taillight for 
a 
stop 
lamp, 
a 
rear hazard 
lamp 
and 
a 
rear 
reflector. 
5. 
Rules. 
The Secretary of State shall adopt rules to 
implement 
the 
provisions 
of 
this 
section 
to 
develop 
a 
certification form for registrants of street rods 
and custom 
vehicles and determine the registration fee reguired for street 
rods and custom vehicles, safety inspection standards for street 
rods after consulting with interested parties in the street rod 
community in the State and safety inspection standards for custom 
vehicles after consultation with interested parties in the custom 
vehicle community in the State. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §669 is enacted to read: 
§669. 
Street rods DAd custOM vehicles 
The model year and year of manufacture on the title for a 
street rod or custom vehicle must be the actual model year and 
year of manufacture or the model year and year of manufacture 
that the body of the motor vehicle is intended to resemble. 
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§10, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
397, §7, is further amended to read: 
10. 
Experimenta1 motor vehicle. 
A vehicle registered as an 
experimental 
motor 
vehicle 
pursuant 
to 
section 
470. 
An 
experimental motor vehicle must meet minimum equipment standards 
pursuant to section 470, subsection 2; aRe 
Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§11, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
397, §8, is amended to read: 
11. 
Low-speed vehic1e. 
A 
low-speed vehicle 
registered 
pursuant to section 501, subsection 11. 
A low-speed vehicle must 
be equipped in accordance with section 1925T~ 
Sec. 12. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§12 is enacted to read: 
12. 
Street rods and custOM vehic1es. 
A motor vehicle 
registered under section 527, except that those motor vehicles 
registered under section 527 that are to be used for general 
daily transportation must meet the reguirements of section 527, 
subsection 3. 
Sec. 13. 29·A MRSA §2054, sub·§2, 'd'D, as amended by PL 2003, 
c. 633, §4, is further amended to read: 
D. 
Except as provided in this paragraph, a vehicle may not 
be equipped with or display a blue light. 
(1) 
Emergency lights used on the following vehicles 
must emit a blue light or a combination of blue and 
whi te 
light: 
a 
police 
vehicle; 
a 
Department 
of 
Corrections 
vehicle 
as 
described 
in 
subsection 
1, 
paragraph B, subparagraph (6); a vehicle operated by a 
chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff; and a 
vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other 
qualified individual performing court security-related 
functions and services. 
(2) 
Emergency 
lights 
used 
on 
an 
ambulance, 
an 
emergency medical service vehicle, 
a fire department 
vehicle or a hazardous material response vehicle may 
include one blue light mounted facing toward the rear 
of the vehicle so that the light is primarily visible 
to approaching traffic from the rear only. 
(3) 
The 
taillight of 
a 
vehicle, 
or replica of 
a 
vehicle, 
manufactured prior 
to 
1952 
and 
registered 
under section 457 or 527, may contain a blue or purple 
insert of not more than one inch in diameter. 
SUMMARY 
This bill defines the terms "blue dot taillight," "custom 
vehicle" and "street rod," repeals the existing standards for 
street rods and establishes registration, certification, title, 
safety and inspection requirements for street rods and custom 
vehicles.