An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Gold Star Family Registration Plate and To Establish an Honorable Service Military Family Registration Plate
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0173
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: FOLEY, COLLINS, BUCKLAND, FREDETTE, GERRISH, HANINGTON, KINNEY, PRESCOTT
Amends: 29-A MRSA §524-B, 29-A MRSA §524-C

Legislative Document 
No. 173 
H.P. 131 
House of Representatives, January 27, 2015 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Gold Star Family 
Registration Plate and To Establish an Honorable Service Military 
Family Registration Plate 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative FOLEY of Wells. 
Cosponsored by Senator COLLINS of York and 
Representatives: BUCKLAND of Farmington, FREDETTE of Newport, GERRISH of 
Lebanon, HANINGTON of Lincoln, KINNEY of Limington, PRESCOTT of Waterboro. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §524-B, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
4.  Gold star family vanity plates.  Upon request and as provided by section 453, the 
Secretary of State shall issue gold star family registration plates that are also vanity 
plates. Gold star family vanity registration plates are issued in accordance with this 
section and section 453. 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §524-C is enacted to read: 
§524-C.  Honorable service military family registration plates 
1.  Eligibility.  Notwithstanding the requirements in section 468-A, the Secretary of 
State, upon application and upon evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 
36, section 1482 and the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501, 
shall issue a registration certificate and a set of honorable service military family 
registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates to a person who is not 
eligible to receive a gold star lapel button under 10 United States Code, Section 1126 
(2010) but who is eligible for a lapel button for next of kin of deceased personnel under 
Code of Federal Regulations, Section 578.63 (2006). 
2.  Application.  An application for honorable service military family registration 
plates must be accompanied by proof that the applicant is eligible for the registration 
plates. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Department of Defense, Veterans 
and Emergency Management, shall verify the documentation presented by the applicant. 
Misrepresentation of documents is in violation of section 2103, subsection 5. 
The Secretary of State may issue honorable service military family registration plates for 
display only on an automobile or pickup truck. An applicant may be issued honorable 
service military family registration plates for no more than one vehicle. 
3.  Design.  The Secretary of State shall determine the design of the honorable service 
military family registration plate. 
A person who does not operate a motor vehicle or register a motor vehicle and who 
otherwise qualifies for the issuance of honorable service military family registration 
plates may apply to the Secretary of State for a special single plate. The Secretary of State 
shall design and identify these special single plates for recognition purposes only. Special 
single plates may not be attached to a motor vehicle. Only one special single plate may be 
issued to each recipient at no fee. 
4.  Vanity plates.  Upon request and as provided by section 453, the Secretary of 
State shall issue honorable service military family registration plates that are also vanity 
plates. Honorable service military family vanity registration plates are issued in 
accordance with this section and section 453. 
The Secretary of State shall begin issuing honorable service military family 
registration plates in accordance with this section no later than January 1, 2016. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides for issuance of gold star family vanity registration plates.  It also 
establishes registration plates for family members of a person who died while honorably 
serving as an active member of the United States Armed Forces who do not fit the gold 
star lapel button guidelines established in 10 United States Code, Section 1126 (2010).