An Act To Clarify Registration for Noncommercial Trucks and Registration Requirements for Nonresidents
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0735
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MARLEY, MILLS, MOODY, SCHATZ, THOMPSON, PERRY
Amends: 29-A MRSA §101, 29-A MRSA §109, 29-A MRSA §501, 29-A MRSA §504

Legislative Document 
No. 735 
H.P.530 
House of Representatives, February 10,2005 
An Act To Clarify Registration for Noncommercial Trucks and 
Registration Requirements for Nonresidents 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve SA VIELLO of Wilton. 
17/~ 
frJ.1lltU~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: MARLEY of Portland, MILLS of Farmington, MOODY of 
Manchester, SCHATZ of Blue Hill, THOMPSON of China, Senator: PERRY of Penobscot. 
Printeu on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §101, sub-§62, as amended by PL 1995, c. 
454, §1, is further amended to read: 
62. 
Resident. 
"Resident" means a person who has declared 
or established residency in this State or has been domiciled in 
this 
State 
for 
a 
period of 
at least 
days, 
except 
for 
nonresident persons in compliance with section 109, subsection 1. 
Except for a nonresident person in compliance with section 109, 
subsection 1, a person is deemed to be a resident: 
A. 
For all vehicles owned by that person that are garaged 
or maintained in this State; or 
B. 
If engaged in the business of renting you-drive or 
you-haul vehicles L 
for an apportioned share of all vehicles 
based on the ratio of the mileage of vehicles operated in 
this State to the total mileage of vehicles operated both 
within and without the State. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §109, sub-§I, ~A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
A. 
A nonresident owner or operator, if that person has 
complied with the provisions of the laws on registration and 
licensing of the jurisdiction of residence and is in this 
State for fewer than 179 continuous days; and 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRS A §351, sub-§I-A, as amended by PL 1999, c. 
68, §l, is further amended to read: 
I-A. 
Residents required to register. 
An owner of a vehicle 
who becomes a resident of this State as defined in section 101, 
subsection 62 shall register that vehicle in this State within 30 
days of establishing residency. 
A person who operates or allows 
a 
vehicle 
that 
is 
not 
registered 
in 
accordance 
with 
this 
subsection to remain on a public way commits a traffic infraction 
pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph A. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §501. sub-§I, as amended by PL 1999, c. 790, 
Pt. C, §3 and affected by §19, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Automobiles; pickUp trucks. 
The fee for an automobile 
or 
pickup 
truck 
used 
for 
the 
conveyance 
of 
passengers 
or 
interchangeably for passengers or property is $25. 
An automobile used for the conveyance of passengers or property 
is a "combination" vehicle and may be issued a special plate with 
the word "combination" instead of "Vacationland." 
A passenger 
vehicle used under contract with the State, a municipality or a 
school district to transport students must 
be 
designated as 
"combination." 
A vehicle owned or operated by parents or legal 
guardians is exempt from this subsection. 
Commercial plates may 
not be 
issued for or displayed on 
an 
automobile. 
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Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
a 
combination of 
vehicles consisting of a pickup truck as defined in section 101, 
subsection 55 and a semitrailer with a registered weight of 2,000 
pounds or less may be registered under this section for the 
combined gross weight of the pickup truck and the semitrailer. 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §504, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1999, c. 580, 
§2 and affected by §14 and amended by c. 
790, Pt. C, 
§8 and 
affected 
by 
§19, 
is 
further 
amended 
by 
amending 
the first 
paragraph to read: 
a light truck, truck or 
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equ i ppe d 
with 
pneumatic tires, the following annual registration fee schedule 
applies. 
1. 
Truck or truck tractor. 
For 
truck 
tractor 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies that seasonal nonresident visitors to 
Maine who are domiciled in this State for less than 179 days are 
not required to register their vehicles in this State. 
The bill 
also removes the requirement that noncommercial trucks in excess 
of 6,000 pounds be registered as commercial vehicles.