An Act To Establish a Specialty License Plate for Female Veterans
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1115
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BRAKEY
Amends: 29-A MRSA §523

Legislative Document
No. 1115
S.P. 369
In Senate, March 21, 2017
An Act To Establish a Specialty License Plate for Female Veterans
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin.  (BY REQUEST)
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  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 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 also make available a special veterans registration plate for 
female veterans, which has the same design as the special veterans registration plate 
except that the "V" designation is pink in color.  A person who qualifies for a special 
veterans registration plate under this subsection may request the special veterans 
registration plate for female veterans. 
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 
shall also make available a special disability registration plate for female veterans, which 
has the same design as the special disability registration plate for veterans except that the 
"V" designation is pink in color.  A person who qualifies for a special disability 
registration plate for veterans under this subsection may request the specialty disability 
registration plate for female veterans. 
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. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Secretary of State to make available a special veterans 
registration plate for female veterans and a special disability registration plate for female 
veterans, which have the same design as the special veterans registration plate and the 
special disability registration plate except that the "V" designation is pink in color.