An Act To Lower the Minimum Age for Operating an All-terrain Vehicle to 14 Years of Age
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0336
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: JACKSON, BRYANT, LUNDEEN, PATRICK, RICHARDSON, SMITH, WATSON, PERRY
Amends: 12 MRSA §13152, 12 MRSA §13154-A

Legislative Document 
No. 336 
H.P.259 
House of Representatives, January 20,2005 
An Act To Lower the Minimum Age for Operating an All-terrain 
Vehicle to 14 Years of Age 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative JACKSON of Fort Kent. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRYANT of Oxford and 
7J1~ 
1I1·17I~ 
MILLICENTM. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BRYANT of Windham, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, PATRICK of Rumford, 
RICHARDSON of Carmel, SMITH of Van Buren, WATSON of Bath, Senator: PERRY of 
Penobscot. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it 'enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13152, sub-§2, as affected by PL 2003, c. 
614, 
§9; 
repealed and replaced by 
c. 
655, 
Pt. 
B, 
§40l 
and 
affected by §422; and repealed and replaced by c. 695, Pt. B, §10 
and affected by Pt. c, §l, is repealed and the following enacted 
in its place: 
2. 
Training. 
A person over 9 years of age and under 14 
years 
of 
age 
must 
successfully 
complete 
a 
training 
program 
approved by the department prior to operating an ATV except on: 
A. 
Land on which that person is domiciled; 
B. 
Land owned or leased by that person's parent or guardian; 
C. 
A safety training site approved by the department; or 
D. Land where permission for the use has been granted to the 
person's parent or guardian. 
A person under 14 years of age must attend the training program 
with that person's parent or guardian. 
The training program must 
include instruction on the safe operation of 
ATVs, 
the 
laws 
pertaining to ATVs, 
the effect of ATVs 
on the environment and 
ways to minimize that effect. courtesy to landowners and other 
recreationists and landowners and other materials as determined 
by the department. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §13154-A, sub-§§3 to 5, as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 655, Pt. B, §404 and affected by §422 and enacted by c. 695, 
Pt. B, §l2 and affected by Pt. C, §l, are amended to read: 
3. 
Un1awfu11y operating ATV by person 10 to under 14 years 
of age. 
Except as provided in subsection 6, a person 10 years of 
age or older but under 1e 14 years of age may not operate an ATV 
unless that person has successfully completed a training course 
approved by the department pursuant to section 13152 
and 
lS 
accompanied by an adult. 
A. 
A person who violates this subsection commits a civil 
violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more 
than $500 may be adjudged. 
B. 
A person who violates this subsection after having been 
adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations 
under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a 
Class E crime. 
Page l-LR0202(1) 
4. 
Person under 14 years of age crossing pub1ic way. 
A 
person under 
years of age 
may not cross 
a 
public way 
maintained for travel unless the crossing is in accordance with 
section 
l3l57-A, 
subsection 
6, 
paragraph 
A 
and 
the 
person 
satisfies the requirements of subsection 3. 
A. 
A person who violates this subsection commits a civil 
violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more 
than $500 may be adjudged. 
B. 
A person who violates this subsection after having been 
adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations 
under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a 
Class E crime. 
5. 
Permitting unaccompanied person under 14 years of age to 
operate ATV. 
Except as provided in subsection 6, 
a person may 
not permit an unaccompanied person 10 years of age or older but 
under 19 14 years of age to operate an ATV. 
A. 
A person who violates 
violation for which a fine 
than $500 may be adjudged. 
this subsection commits a civil 
of not less than $100 nor more 
B. 
A person who violates this subsection after having been 
adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations 
under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a 
Class E crime. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §13154-A, sub-§6, ,B, as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 655, Pt. B, §404 and affected by §422 and enacted by c. 695, 
Pt. B, §12 and affected by Pt. C, §l, is amended to read: 
B. 
Land 
owned 
or 
leased 
by 
the 
operator's 
parent 
or 
guardian; SF 
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §13154-A. sub-§6.,C. as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 655, Pt. B, §404 and affected by §422 and enacted by c. 695, 
Pt. 
B, 
§12 
and affected by Pt. 
C, 
§l, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
C. 
A safety training site approved by the department; or 
Sec. 5. 12 MRS A §13154-A. sub-§6"D is enacted to read: 
D. 
Land where permission for use has been granted to the 
operator's parent or guardian. 
SUMMARY 
This bill lowers the minimum age for operating an ATV from 
years of age to 14 years of age. 
It also corrects conflicts 
created by Public Law 2003, chapters 655 and 695, which affected 
the same provisions of law, by incorporating the changes made by 
both laws.