An Act To Create a Vintage Car Category in the Motor Vehicle Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0570
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: COTTA, KATZ, CASAVANT, HOBBINS, KESCHL, KRUGER, NUTTING
Amends: 29-A MRSA §101, 29-A MRSA §457, 29-A MRSA §651, 29-A MRSA §1252, 29-A MRSA §1751, 29-A MRSA §2111, 30-A MRSA §3752

Legislative Document 
No. 570 
H.P. 389 
House of Representatives, February 19, 2013 
An Act To Create a Vintage Car Category in the Motor Vehicle 
Laws 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative COTTA of China. 
Cosponsored by Senator KATZ of Kennebec and 
Representatives: CASAVANT of Biddeford, HOBBINS of Saco, KESCHL of Belgrade, 
KRUGER of Thomaston, NUTTING of Oakland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §101, sub-§3, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
A.  More than 25 50 years old; 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §101, sub-§91-A is enacted to read: 
91-A.  Vintage auto.  "Vintage auto" means an automobile or truck manufactured in 
or after model year 1916 that is: 
A.  More than 25 years old but less than 51 years old; 
B.  Equipped with an engine manufactured either at the same time as the vehicle or to 
the specifications of the original engine; 
C.  Substantially maintained in original or restored condition primarily for use in 
exhibitions, club activities, parades or other functions of public interest; 
D.  Not used as its owner's primary mode of transportation of passengers or goods; 
E.  Not a reconstructed vehicle; and 
F.  Not an altered vehicle. 
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §457, as amended by PL 2005, c. 34, §§1 and 2 and c. 321, 
§§2 and 3 and affected by §6, is further amended to read: 
§457.  Antique and vintage vehicle registration plates 
1.  Antique and vintage vehicle registration plates authorized.  The Secretary of 
State may issue registration plates for antique autos, vintage autos, custom vehicles, 
horseless carriages, street rods or antique motorcycles.  These plates must bear the 
inscription "Maine" and the inscription "Antique Auto," "Vintage Auto," "Custom 
Vehicle," "Horseless Carriage" or "Street Rod" or, for antique motorcycles, the 
inscription "Antique." 
3.  Contemporary plates.  An owner of an antique auto, vintage auto, horseless 
carriage, street rod or antique motorcycle may use registration plates that were issued in 
the same year the antique or vintage vehicle was manufactured, as long as the motor 
vehicle: 
A.  Is over 25 years old; 
B.  Is registered as an antique or vintage vehicle; and 
C.  Carries a valid antique or vintage motor vehicle registration certificate and plates. 
4.  Display of contemporary plates.  Contemporary registration plates must have 
matching plate numbers, be affixed to both the front and rear and conspicuously bear the 
year of manufacture. 
5.  Street rod standards.  The Chief of the State Police shall establish standards to 
qualify vehicles as street rods. These standards include: 
A.  The age of the vehicle; 
B.  The equipment and its condition; and 
C.  Permissible modifications. 
6.  Application.  An application for registration of a vehicle under this section must 
be accompanied by an affidavit that includes a statement indicating the year and make of 
the motor vehicle and that the vehicle is garaged or maintained in the State. 
7.  Registration fee.  The fee for registration of an antique auto, vintage auto, 
horseless carriage or antique motorcycle is $15.  The fee for registration of a street rod is 
$30. 
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §651, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 356, §15, is 
further amended to read: 
3.  Warranty title; antique auto; vintage auto; horseless carriage; antique 
motorcycle; classic vehicle.  The Secretary of State may, on documented and notarized 
evidence of ownership and payment of a $40 fee, issue a warranty title to a Maine 
resident owner of an antique auto, vintage auto, horseless carriage, antique motorcycle or 
classic vehicle.  A warranty title denotes that there are no known liens or encumbrances 
against the vehicle. 
Sec. 5.  29-A MRSA §1252, sub-§1, ¶C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 165, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
C.  A Class C license may be issued for the operation of a single vehicle or a 
combination of vehicles that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B 
license. 
A holder of a Class C license may, with an appropriate endorsement, operate all 
vehicles in that class. 
A Class C license authorizes: 
(1)  A full-time or volunteer member of an organized municipal, state or federal 
fire department and a law enforcement officer who is a member of an organized 
municipal, state or federal law enforcement department to operate fire apparatus 
as described in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 383.3 (2005) and to 
operate a commercial motor vehicle as a mobile command unit.  For purposes of 
this subparagraph, "mobile command unit" means a motor vehicle designed and 
used by a law enforcement agency primarily as a command and control platform 
for emergency response; 
(2)  A person to operate recreational vehicles for personal use; 
(3)  A person to operate commercial motor vehicles for military purposes as 
required in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 383.3 (2005); 
(4)  A person to operate registered farm motor trucks bearing the letter "F" on the 
registration plate when the vehicle is: 
(a)  Controlled and operated by a farmer, including operation by the farmer's 
employees or family members; 
(b)  Used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies 
to or from a farm; 
(c)  Not used in the operation of a common or contract motor carrier; and 
(d)  Used within 150 miles of the registered owner's farm; 
(5)  A person, employed by a city, town, county, district or other unit of local 
government created by or pursuant to law that has a total population of 3,000 
individuals or less, to operate a commercial motor vehicle within the boundaries 
of that unit of local government for the purpose of removing snow or ice from a 
roadway by plowing, sanding or salting, if: 
(a)  The properly licensed employee who ordinarily operates a commercial 
motor vehicle for those purposes is unable to operate the vehicle; or 
(b)  The employing governmental entity determines that a snow or ice 
emergency exists that requires additional assistance; or 
(6)  A person to operate a truck registered as an antique automobile auto or 
vintage auto, regardless of weight or combination weight, provided the vehicle is 
used for noncommercial recreational purposes or purposes pursuant to section 
101, subsection 3. 
Sec. 6.  29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5.  Vintage autos.  A vintage auto registered under section 457 must receive a 
biennial inspection based upon standards determined by the Chief of the State Police. 
Sec. 7.  29-A MRSA §2111, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
2.  Prohibition.  A person commits a Class E crime if that person operates a motor 
vehicle, except for an antique auto, vintage auto, a motor vehicle using liquefied 
petroleum gas as engine fuel or a farm tractor, on a public way if any operational element 
of the air pollution control system of that vehicle has been removed, dismantled or 
otherwise rendered inoperative. 
Sec. 8.  30-A MRSA §3752, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 424, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
A.    "Automobile graveyard" does not include: 
(1)  An area used for temporary storage of vehicles or vehicle parts by an 
establishment or place of business that is primarily engaged in doing vehicle 
repair work to make repairs to render a motor vehicle serviceable.  In order for a 
vehicle's storage to be considered temporary, it must be removed from the site 
within 180 calendar days of its receipt; 
(2)  An area used by an automobile hobbyist to store, organize, restore or display 
antique autos, vintage autos, antique motorcycles, classic vehicles, horseless 
carriages, reconstructed vehicles, street rods or parts of these vehicles as these 
vehicles are defined in Title 29-A, section 101 as long as the hobbyist's activities 
comply with all applicable federal and state statutes and rules and municipal 
ordinances, other than ordinances that are more restrictive than this subsection 
regarding the storage of vehicles or vehicle parts that are collected by a hobbyist, 
except that a municipal ordinance may require areas used by an automobile 
hobbyist to comply with the screening requirements in section 3754-A, 
subsection 1, paragraph A and the standards in section 3754-A, subsection 5, 
paragraph A, paragraph B, subparagraph (1) and paragraph C.  For the purposes 
of this subparagraph, an automobile hobbyist is a person who is not primarily 
engaged in the business of selling any of those vehicles or parts from those 
vehicles; 
(3)  An area used for the parking or storage of vehicles, vehicle parts or 
equipment intended for use by a municipality, quasi-municipal entity or state or 
federal agency; 
(4)  An area used for the storage of operational farm tractors and related farm 
equipment, log skidders, logging tractors or other vehicles exempted from 
registration under Title 29-A, chapter 5; 
(5)  An area used for the parking or storage of vehicles or equipment being 
offered for sale by a dealer, equipment dealer, trailer dealer or vehicle auction 
business as defined in Title 29-A, section 851; 
(6)  An area used for the storage of vehicles by an establishment or place of 
business that is primarily engaged in business as a new vehicle dealer as defined 
in Title 29-A, section 851; 
(7)  An area used for temporary storage of vehicles by an establishment or place 
of business that is primarily engaged in business as an insurance salvage pool.  In 
order for a vehicle's storage to be considered temporary under this subparagraph, 
the vehicle must be removed from the site within 180 days of receipt of title by 
the business; or 
(8)  An area used for the parking or storage of operational commercial motor 
vehicles, special equipment or special mobile equipment as defined in Title 29-A, 
section 101 that is temporarily out of service but is expected to be used by the 
vehicle or equipment owner or by an operator designated by the owner.  This 
subsection does not exempt an area used for the parking or storage of equipment 
or vehicles that are not operational while stored or parked in the area. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates a new vehicle registration category called "vintage auto" for a motor 
vehicle more than 25 years old but less than 51 years old.  The vintage auto must be 
inspected biennially.