An Act To Provide for 2-year Motor Vehicle Inspection Stickers
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0348
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: DUTREMBLE, CRAFTS, COLLINS, DAVIS, COREY, FECTEAU, MARTIN, SHORT, VEROW, WOOD
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1751, 29-A MRSA §1752, 29-A MRSA §1753

Legislative Document 
No. 348 
S.P. 131 
In Senate, February 10, 2015 
An Act To Provide for 2-year Motor Vehicle Inspection Stickers 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator DUTREMBLE of York. 
Cosponsored by Representative CRAFTS of Lisbon and 
Senators: COLLINS of York, DAVIS of Piscataquis, Representatives: COREY of Windham, 
FECTEAU of Biddeford, MARTIN of Sinclair, SHORT of Pittsfield, VEROW of Brewer, 
WOOD of Sabattus. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
1.  Inspection required.  Except as provided in this chapter or section 2307, 
subsection 1, a motor vehicle required to be registered in this State must have an annual 
inspection every 2 years.  A person may have a motor vehicle inspected more frequently. 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 786, §1, is 
amended to read: 
2-A.  Enhanced inspection.  Beginning January 1, 1999, a motor vehicle that is 
required to be registered in Cumberland County and that is subject to inspection pursuant 
to subsection 1 must have an annual a biennial enhanced inspection.  The following 
equipment is subject to inspection: 
A.    Equipment subject to inspection pursuant to subsection 2; 
B.    The fuel tank cap on 1974 and subsequent models of gasoline-powered vehicles; 
and 
C.    The on-board diagnostic system on 1996 and subsequent models. 
A motor vehicle that is not required to be registered in Cumberland County may have an 
enhanced inspection under this subsection. 
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§4, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 314, §7, is 
further amended to read: 
B.  Has a partial annual biennial inspection of the running gear, steering mechanism, 
brakes, exhaust system and lights; safety glass under section 1915; and tires under 
section 1917; and 
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§7, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 314, §8, is 
further amended to read: 
B.  Has a partial annual biennial inspection consisting of the running gear, steering 
mechanism, brakes, exhaust system and lights; safety glass under section 1915; and 
tires under section 1917, subsection 3; and 
Sec. 5.  29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§8, ¶C, as amended by PL 2003, c. 125, §2 and 
amended by c. 397, §5, is further amended to read: 
C.  Has a partial annual biennial inspection of running gear, steering mechanism, 
brakes and exhaust system and tires under section 1917, subsection 3; 
Sec. 6.  29-A MRSA §1753, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
1.  Inspection required.  Except as provided in subsection 4, a commercial motor 
vehicle that is required to be registered in this State, is used in intrastate or interstate 
commerce and has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 
10,000 pounds, including the gross vehicle weight rating or gross weight of any trailer or 
semitrailer, must be inspected annually biennially pursuant to this chapter.  Except as 
provided in subsection 4, a trailer or semitrailer that has a gross vehicle weight or gross 
vehicle weight rating greater than 7,000 pounds, independent of the towing vehicle, must 
be inspected annually biennially.  A trailer or semitrailer must also be inspected annually 
biennially when: 
A.  Engaged in interstate commerce and used with a motor vehicle that has a gross 
vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, including 
the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of a trailer or semitrailer and 
load; or 
B.  Except as provided in subsection 4, engaged in intrastate commerce and used with 
a motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater 
than 10,000 pounds, including the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating 
of a trailer or semitrailer and load. 
Sec. 7.  29-A MRSA §1753, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §§3 to 5, is 
further amended to read: 
4.  Vehicles exempt from biennial inspection.  The following vehicles are exempt 
from the requirements of this section: 
A.    When used exclusively in intrastate commerce, a trailer or semitrailer with a 
gross vehicle weight, including any load, that does not exceed 3,000 pounds; 
B.    When used exclusively in intrastate commerce, a semitrailer designed and used 
exclusively for dispensing cable from reels attached to the semitrailer, commonly 
called a reel trailer, and any semitrailer designed and used exclusively to support the 
ends of poles being transported, commonly called a pole dolly, when the gross weight 
of the semitrailer and load does not exceed 12,000 pounds; 
C.    Any mobile home, empty storage trailer or empty storage semitrailer displaying 
a trailer transit plate in accordance with section 954, subsections 4 and 5; 
D.    A farm truck or a fish truck exempted under section 1752;  
E.    A trailer or semitrailer displaying a valid certificate of inspection from another 
state or a federally approved commercial vehicle inspection program until the normal 
expiration of its certificate of inspection; and 
F.  A camp trailer. 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the law to require motor vehicle inspections every 2 years.