An Act To Expand the Authorized Operation of All-terrain Vehicles on Roads
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0620
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McCABE, CAIN, KUSIAK, MARKS, SAUCIER, SHORT
Amends: 12 MRSA §13155, 29-A MRSA §501

Legislative Document 
No. 620 
H.P. 439 
House of Representatives, February 21, 2013 
An Act To Expand the Authorized Operation of All-terrain Vehicles 
on Roads 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative McCABE of Skowhegan. 
Cosponsored by Senator CAIN of Penobscot and 
Representatives: KUSIAK of Fairfield, MARKS of Pittston, SAUCIER of Presque Isle, 
SHORT of Pittsfield. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §13155, sub-§1-A, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 184, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
A.  The following exceptions apply. 
(1)  Registration is not required for an ATV operated on land on which the owner 
lives or on land on which the owner is domiciled, as long as the ATV is not 
operated elsewhere within the jurisdiction of the State. 
(2)  Registration is not required for an ATV operated by a commercial ski area 
for the purpose of packing snow or for rescue operations on the commercial ski 
area, unless the ATV is required to cross a public way during that operation. 
(3)  An ATV owned and operated in the State by the Federal Government, the 
State or a political subdivision of the State is exempt from registration fees but 
must be registered and is required to display registration numbers. 
(4)  An ATV registration for the farm use specified in Title 29-A, section 501, 
subsection 8, paragraph E or for the landscaping and property maintenance 
purposes specified in Title 29-A, section 501, subsection 8, paragraph F is not 
required for a vehicle registered with the Secretary of State under Title 29-A, 
section 501, subsection 8. 
(5)  An ATV registered in another state or in a Canadian province may be 
operated without being registered pursuant to this section at a special event 
organized to occur in this State if the special event organizer submits a request in 
writing to the commissioner 60 days prior to the special event and provides the 
commissioner with a map of the trails to be used during the special event and the 
commissioner approves the request. 
(6)  An ATV owned or under the control of an ATV manufacturer may be 
operated without a Maine registration at a demonstration event organized to 
occur in this State if such operation is approved by the commissioner.  An ATV 
manufacturer or a representative of an ATV manufacturer must submit a request 
in writing to the commissioner at least 60 days prior to the demonstration event 
and shall include a description and the location of the event. 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §501, sub-§8, ¶F is enacted to read: 
F.  Notwithstanding paragraph E, a person may operate an ATV on a public way 
when that ATV is used for landscaping or property maintenance purposes.  Operation 
of an ATV pursuant to this paragraph is limited to travel between properties that are 
being landscaped or maintained.  An ATV operated on a public way pursuant to this 
paragraph may be operated only on the extreme right of the traveled way and in the 
same direction as motor vehicle traffic. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows the Secretary of State to issue a special registration permit allowing 
the limited operation of an ATV on a public way.  The operation of the ATV on a public 
way is limited to travel from one property to another for the purpose of landscaping or 
property maintenance.