An Act Regarding Certain License Plates for Veterans and Providing for a Breast Cancer Support Services Disability Plate
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1394
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: HANINGTON, CUSHING, ALLEY, DILLINGHAM, FARRIN, JOHANSEN, SEAVEY, STANLEY, STEWART, STROM
Amends: 29-A MRSA §453, 29-A MRSA §456-E, 29-A MRSA §523

Legislative Document
No. 1394
H.P. 968
House of Representatives, April 11, 2017
An Act Regarding Certain License Plates for Veterans and 
Providing for a Breast Cancer Support Services Disability Plate
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HANINGTON of Lincoln.
Cosponsored by Senator CUSHING of Penobscot and
Representatives: ALLEY of Beals, DILLINGHAM of Oxford, FARRIN of Norridgewock, 
JOHANSEN of Monticello, SEAVEY of Kennebunkport, STANLEY of Medway, STEWART 
of Presque Isle, STROM of Pittsfield.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §453, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 647, §1 and 
affected by §8, is further amended to read: 
2.  Fee.  The annual service fee for a vanity registration plate is $25 in addition to the 
regular motor vehicle registration fee.  The service fee must be credited to the General 
Highway Fund, except that, beginning July 1, 2009, $10 of the service fee must be 
transferred on a quarterly basis by the Treasurer of State to the TransCap Trust Fund 
established by Title 30-A, section 6006-G.  A sum sufficient to defray the cost of this 
program must be allocated annually from the General Highway Fund.  Notwithstanding 
this subsection, with regard to a vanity registration plate that is a veterans registration 
plate pursuant to section 523, subsection 4, the service fee imposed pursuant to this 
subsection may be imposed for the first 3 years only. 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §456-E, sub-§10 is enacted to read: 
10.  Breast cancer support services disability registration plate.  Pursuant to this 
section and section 521, the Secretary of State may issue to a person breast cancer support 
services disability registration plates. 
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 80, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
3.  Special veterans registration plates.  The Secretary of State, on application and 
evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the 
registration fee required by section 501, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of 
special veterans registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a 
vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 10,000 pounds to any person who 
has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged or 
to a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years and 
continues to serve.  If a person who qualifies for a special veterans registration plate 
under this subsection is the primary driver of 3 2 vehicles, the Secretary of State may 
issue in accordance with this section a set of special veterans registration plates for each 
vehicle. 
Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, certification from the United States Veterans 
Administration or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the 
applicant's military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department of 
Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services 
verifying active duty military service and length of service. 
The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who 
has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces. 
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special registration plates is retained by 
the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program. 
The surviving spouse of a special veteran plate recipient issued plates in accordance with 
this subsection may retain and display the special veteran plates as long as the surviving 
spouse remains unmarried.  Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the 
special veteran plates on a motor vehicle, but may retain them as a keepsake.  Upon the 
death of the surviving spouse, the family may retain the special veteran plates, but may 
not use them on a motor vehicle. 
The Secretary of State may issue a special disability registration plate for veterans in 
accordance with section 521, subsections 1, 5, 7 and 9.  The special disability registration 
plate for veterans must bear the International Symbol of Access. 
The Secretary of State may issue a set of special veterans registration plates when the 
qualifying veteran is the primary driver of a company-owned vehicle if: 
A.  The company is owned solely by a veteran who qualifies for a veteran plate under 
this section; 
B.  The vehicle is leased by a veteran who qualifies for the veteran plate under this 
subsection; or 
C.  The vehicle is leased by the employer of a veteran who qualifies for the veteran 
plate and the employer has assigned the vehicle exclusively to the veteran.  The 
employer must attest in writing that the veteran will have exclusive use of the vehicle 
and agrees to the display of the special veteran plate. 
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 356, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
3-A.  Motorcycle plates; veterans.  In addition to any plate issued pursuant to 
subsection 3, the Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise 
tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the registration fee required by section 515, 
subsection 1, shall issue a registration certificate and a special veterans registration plate 
for up to 3 2 designated motorcycles owned or controlled by a person who has served in 
the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged or to a person 
who has served in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years and continues to 
serve. 
Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, certification from the United States Department of 
Veterans Affairs or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying 
the applicant's military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department 
of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services 
verifying active duty military service and length of service. 
The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who 
has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces. 
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special veterans registration plates is 
retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program. 
Upon request the Secretary of State shall issue special veterans registration plates for a 
motorcycle that are also vanity plates.  These plates are issued in accordance with this 
section and section 453.  Vanity plates issued under this subsection may not duplicate 
vanity plates issued in another class of plate. 
The surviving spouse of a recipient of a special veterans registration plate issued in 
accordance with this subsection may retain and use the plate or plates as long as the 
surviving spouse remains unmarried.  Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use 
the plate or plates, but may retain them.  Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the 
family may retain the plate or plates, but may not use them. 
The Secretary of State may not issue special commemorative decals under subsection 5 or 
for use on special veterans registration plates for a motorcycle. 
SUMMARY 
This bill reduces the number of special veterans registration plates that may be issued 
to a veteran from 3 to 2, charges the annual service fee for a veterans vanity plate only for 
years and provides for issuance of a breast cancer support services disability 
registration plate.