An Act Regarding Stops of All-terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles by Law Enforcement Officers
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1209
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: CRAFTS, MASON, BICKFORD, BLACK, BURNS, DAVIS, FREDETTE, TIMBERLAKE, WOOD
Amends: 12 MRSA §10353

Legislative Document 
No. 1209 
H.P. 900 
House of Representatives, March 22, 2011 
An Act Regarding Stops of All-terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles by 
Law Enforcement Officers 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CRAFTS of Lisbon. 
Cosponsored by Senator MASON of Androscoggin and 
Representatives: BICKFORD of Auburn, BLACK of Wilton, BURNS of Alfred, DAVIS of 
Sangerville, FREDETTE of Newport, TIMBERLAKE of Turner, WOOD of Sabattus. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10353, sub-§2, ¶G, as amended by PL 2009, c. 389, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
G.  If the warden has reasonable and articulable suspicion to believe that a violation 
of law has taken place or is taking place, stop and examine any all-terrain vehicle 
being operated on a trail in the Maine Trails System established pursuant to section 
1892 to ascertain whether it is being operated in compliance with chapter 939 or any 
other provision of this Part regulating ATVs, demand and inspect the operator's 
certificate of registration and, when appropriate, demand and inspect evidence that 
the operator has satisfactorily completed a training course as required by section 
13152.  If the all-terrain vehicle is being operated more than 20 feet from a trail in the 
Maine Trails System, the warden, for any reason, may stop and examine the all-
terrain vehicle and operator.  Other law enforcement officers are subject to the 
provisions of this paragraph; 
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10353, sub-§2, ¶H, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
H.  Stop If the warden has reasonable and articulable suspicion to believe that a 
violation of law has taken place or is taking place, stop and examine any snowmobile 
being operated on a trail in the Maine Trails System established pursuant to section 
1892 to ascertain whether it is being operated in compliance with chapter 937 or any 
other provision of this Part regulating snowmobiles; demand and inspect the 
operator's certificate of registration; and examine the identification numbers of the 
snowmobile and any marks on it.  If the snowmobile is not being operated on a trail 
in the Maine Trails System, the warden, for any reason, may stop and examine the 
snowmobile and operator.  Other law enforcement officers are subject to the 
provisions of this paragraph; and 
SUMMARY 
Current law requires a game warden or other law enforcement officer to have a 
reasonable and articulable suspicion to stop an all-terrain vehicle or ATV; no such 
restriction is placed on game wardens or law enforcement officers stopping snowmobiles. 
This bill maintains that reasonable and articulable suspicion requirement for a game 
warden or law enforcement officer stopping an ATV being operated on a trail in the 
Maine Trails System and also applies it to snowmobiles being operated on a trail in the 
Maine Trails System.  For an ATV that is more than 20 feet from one of those trails or a 
snowmobile that is not on one of those trails, no reasonable suspicion is required to stop 
and examine the ATV or snowmobile or its operator.