An Act To Modernize the Innkeeping Statutes
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0905
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: COWGER, MOODY, DAMON, DOW, ROSEN, BARSTOW, CROSTHWAITE, JODREY, KOFFMAN, SCHATZ
Amends: 5 MRSA §4592, 30-A MRSA §3802, 30-A MRSA §3821, 30-A MRSA §3822, 30-A MRSA §3838

Legislative Document 
No. 905 
S.P.313 
In Senate, February 22,2005 
An Act To Modernize the Innkeeping Statutes 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator COWGER of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Representative MOODY of Manchester and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: DAMON of Hancock, DOW of Lincoln, ROSEN of Hancock, Representatives: 
BARSTOW of Gorham, CROSTHWAITE of Ellsworth, JODREY of Bethel, KOFFMAN of 
Bar Harbor, SCHATZ of Blue Hill. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4592. sub-§3. ,B, as amended by PL 1995, c. 
393, §23, is further amended to read: 
B. 
That contains no more than -a-
rooms available to be 
let to lodgers; and 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §3802. sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 
737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 
9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Overcharqe liability. 
No keeper may charge or collect a 
sum greater than the rate shown in the posted schedule. 
Any 
keeper who charges or collects more than the rate shown in the 
posted schedule is liable to the person so charged or who paid 
the bill in an amount equal to 
~--t,imes the total amount of the 
bill collected minus the rate shown in the posted schedule. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §3821, sub-§§ 1 and 2, as enac ted by PL 1987, 
c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pte C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; 
c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, are further amended to 
read: 
1. 
Reqister of quests. 
EveFY A person conducting aBY 
.Q 
hotel or 
lodging house 
saall may 
have 
a 
register 
kept 
and 
maintained in the hotel or lodging house a~-~~-~~~--~ae and 
may require that the name of every guest or person renting or 
occupying a room or rooms in the hotel or lodging house saall be 
wri tten in the register. 
The person renting the room or rooms, 
or 
someone 
under 
that 
person's 
direction, 
shall 
sign 
the 
register, if required. 
The proprietor of the hotel or lodging 
house, or the proprietor's agent, shall then write the number of 
each room assigned to and occupied by each guest, together with 
the date that room is rented, 
opposite the name or names 
so 
registered. 
2. 
Record 
of 
departures. 
The 
proprietor 
or 
the 
proprietor's agent saall may keep and maintain a record showing 
the date when the occupant of each room surrenders the room. 
This record may be made a part of the register. 
Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §3822. sub-§I. as amended by PL 1995, c. 88, 
§2, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Reqistration. 
All persons occupying a room or rooms in 
a hotel or lodging house mHS~ may be required to register or have 
themselves registered in the hotel or lodging house register. 
The innkeeper may require the registering guest to produce 
a 
valid driver's license, or other identification satisfactory to 
the 
innkeeper, 
setting forth 
the 
name 
and 
residence of 
the 
guest. 
If the guest is a minor, 
the innkeeper may require a 
parent 
of 
the 
guest 
to 
register 
and 
to 
accept 
in writing 
liability for the guest room costs, taxes, all charges incurred 
by the minor and any damages to the guest room or its furnishings 
caused by the minor while a guest at the hotel or lodging house. 
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §3838, sub-§2, ,B, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
59, §l, is further amended to read: 
B. 
Provides the innkeeper or campground owner with a valia 
eFeai~--£·a-Hl--nuIl\be-Ji'--eF cash deposit to cover the guest room 
or campground site costs, taxes, charges by the minor and 
any damages to the guest room or its furnishings or to the 
campground site caused by 
the minor. 
Any 
cash deposit 
provided must be refunded to the extent not used to cover 
any charges or damages as determined by the innkeeper or 
campground 
owner 
following 
room 
or 
campground 
site 
inspection at check-out. 
The innkeeper Qr campground owner 
may accept a valid credit card number 
from the minor to 
cover 
the 
guest 
room 
or 
campground site costs, 
taxes, 
charges by the minor and any damages to the guest room or 
its furnishings or to the campground site caused by the 
minor; 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends several sections of the law dealing wi th 
]0 
innkeeping and lodging. 
The bill amends the provision requiring 
all guests to register. 
The bill also requires that a guest who 
is overcharged must be reimbursed the amount charged minus the 
posted 
rate 
for 
the 
room. 
The 
bill also 
changes 
the 
law 
:14 
requiring an innkeeper or campground owner to accept a credit 
card from a 
minor to cover guest expenses, 
instead making it 
:16 
optional. 
Lastly, the bill permits the owner of a lodging house 
or hotel that has 10 or fewer guest rooms to decline to admit 
]8 
children as occupants.