An Act To Amend Motor Vehicle Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2075
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MARLEY, DAMON, FISHER, HOGAN, MAZUREK, MILLS, TARDY, THERIAULT, PERRY
Amends: 29-A MRSA §521, 29-A MRSA §603, 29-A MRSA §2382

Legislative Document 
No. 2075 
H.P.1459 
House of Representatives, December 21,2007 
An Act To Amend Motor Vehicle Laws 
Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 19,2007. Referred to the Committee on 
Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative MARLEY of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator DAMON of Hancock and 
'!r/~ 1J7.17l~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: FISHER of Brewer, HOGAN of Old Orchard Beach, MAZUREK of 
Rockland, MILLS of Farmington, TARDY of Newport, THERIAULT of Madawaska, Senator: 
PERRY of Penobscot. 
Printed on recyded paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §S12, 2nd ~, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 645, Pt. B, §9, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
The Secretary of State may establish rules for the extension of registrations issued 
pursuant to thi~ section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules 
as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §521, iub-§l, as amended by PL 2003, c. 431, §§ 1 103, is 
further amended to read: 
1. Definitioll. "Person with a disability" means a person whose disability limits or 
impairs the ability to walk., as detennined and certifted by a licensed physician, physician 
assistant ef, nurse practitioner or registered nurse, to the extent that the person: 
• 
A. 
Can not walk 200 feet without stopping to rest; 
B. 
Can not walk withoutllssistance from another person or the use of a brace, cane, 
crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair or otherassistive device; 
C. 
Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that the person's forced expiratory 
volume for one s.econd when measured by spirometry is less than 1 liter or when the 
arterial oxygen tension is less than nOm/hg on room air at rest; 
D. 
Uses portable oxygen; 
E. 
Has a cardiac :condition 10 the extent that the person's functional limitations are 
classified in severity as Class 3 or Class 4 according to standards set by the American 
Heart Associat;on; 
F. 
Is severely linuted in :the lIhility to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or 
orthoped ic cond ition; or 
G. 
Is recovering from childbirth. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §521, R1b-§5, as amended by PL 200 I, c. 35, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
5. Application; issWlDce. An application for a disability plate or placard must be 
accompanied by the certificate of a physician, physician assistant ef, nurse practitioner or 
registered nurse attesting 10 that person's physical disability as defined in subsection 1. 
The Secretary of State shall issue to an eligible applicant disability plates and windshield 
placards upon request. Proof of a disability must be submitted every 4 years on a form 
prescribed by the Secretary of State, except, when the Secretary of State determines the 
disability to be permanent, the time may be extended. When the applicant's need for the 
disability placard terminates or the applicant dies, the plate or placard must be 
immediately returned to the Secretary of State. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §S21, sub-§6, ~A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 431, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
A. 
An application for a temporary placard must be accompanied by the certificate 
of a physician, physician assistant ef, nurse practitioner or registered nurse attesting 
to the applicant's physical disability as defined in subsection I and the period of time 
that the physician, physician assistant ef, nurse practitioner or registered nurse 
determines the applicant will have the disability. A temporary placard is not valid for 
a period of more than 6 months. The Secretary of State ffH:tSt shall give priority 
consideration to requests for temporary placards. 
A temporary placard issued pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph G is valid, after the 
birth of a child, for a period of not more than: 
( I) One week after cesarean section delivery; or 
II 
(2) 
A time to be determined by the patient's physician after the birth of a 
1:: 
preterm infant. 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§l, ~G, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
G. 
A duplicate certificate; ef 
]6 
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§l,~, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
H. 
Assignment of a new vehicle identification number"~ 
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§l, ~ is enacted to read: 
I. A 2nd or subsequent security interest noted on an application for certificate of title; 
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§l, ~ is enacted to read: 
1. Filing an assignment of a security interest; or 
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§l, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
K. An ordinarY certificate of title issued on surrender of a distinctive certificate. 
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is repealed. 
Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §603, sub-§3-A, as affected by PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. A, § 153 
and enacted by Pt. B, §9 and affected by Pt. C, § 15, is amended to read: 
3-A. Immediate issuance of document. An applicant requesting the immediate 
issuance of a document described in subsection 1 er-2- must pay an additional fee of $10 
and state the reason for the request. 
The Secretary of State shall determine if an 
immediate issuance is warranted and process the request accordingly. 
Sec. 12. 29-A MRSA §2382, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by Pt. B. §5, is amended to read: 
5. Special mobile equipment. The Secretary of State may grant a permit, for no 
more than one year, to move pneumatic-tire equipment under its own power, including 
Class A and Class B special mobile equipment, over ways and bridges maintained by the 
Department of Transportation. The fee for that permit is W $25 for each 30-day period. 
SUMMARY 
This bill: 
I. Amends the long-term trailer registration requirements to provide administrative 
flexibility for the extension of long-term trailer registrations. This allows the Secretary of 
State to adopt rules consistent with current accounting procedures~ 
2. 
Amends the disability plate law to allow a registered nurse to approve an 
II 
application~ 
3. Corrects a title fee to charge the regular title fee when issuing a new title due to 
change in branding; and 
4. Amends the permit fee for a long-term overweight permit to be consistent with 
trip permit fees adopted in 2001.