An Act To Repeal the Laws Governing Truck Camper Registration
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0827
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: THIBODEAU, BRAKEY, COLLINS, DAVIS, MIRAMANT, HARRINGTON
Amends: 29-A MRSA §409, 29-A MRSA §502, 29-A MRSA §503, 29-A MRSA §508

Legislative Document
No. 827
S.P. 273
In Senate, March 7, 2017
An Act To Repeal the Laws Governing Truck Camper Registration
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President THIBODEAU of Waldo.
Cosponsored by Senators: BRAKEY of Androscoggin, COLLINS of York, DAVIS of 
Piscataquis, MIRAMANT of Knox, Representative: HARRINGTON of Sanford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §409, sub-§§1 to 3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, are amended to read: 
1.  Collection of tax.  The Secretary of State shall act at the time and place of 
registration on behalf of the State Tax Assessor to collect the sales or use tax due under 
Title 36, Part 3 for a vehicle or truck camper for which an original registration is required. 
2.  Documentation; payment of tax.  Registration may not be issued, unless in 
addition to meeting the other registration requirements of this Title, the applicant has: 
A.  Submitted a dealer's certificate in a form prescribed by the State Tax Assessor, 
showing either that: 
(1)  The sales tax due has been collected by the dealer; or 
(2)  The sale of the vehicle or truck camper is not subject to tax; or 
B.  Properly signed a use tax certificate in a form prescribed by the State Tax 
Assessor and: 
(1)  Paid the amount of tax due; or 
(2)  Shown that the sale or use of the vehicle or truck camper is not subject to tax. 
3.  Collection fee.  Each official shall retain from the use taxes collected a fee of 
$1.25 for each vehicle or truck camper, even if a certificate indicates that no use tax is 
due. 
Retained fees must be transmitted to the Treasurer of State and credited to the Highway 
Fund. 
Taxes collected must be transmitted to the Treasurer of State and credited to the General 
Fund. 
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §409, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2011, c. 240, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
5.  Other taxes.  A motor vehicle, mobile home, or camp trailer or truck camper may 
not be registered until the excise tax or personal property tax or real estate tax has been 
paid in accordance with Title 36, sections 551, 602, 1482 and 1484.  The Secretary of 
State may provide municipal excise tax collectors with a standard vehicle registration 
form for the collection of excise tax. 
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §502, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
1.  Transferring registration.  A person who transfers the ownership or discontinues 
the use of a registered motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer and applies for registration of 
another motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer in the same registration year may use the 
same number plates on payment of a transfer fee of $8, as long as the registration fee is 
the same as that of the former vehicle.  If the fee for the vehicle to be registered is greater 
than the fee for the vehicle first registered, that person must also pay the difference.  If 
application is made for a truck camper or a trailer with a gross weight of 2,000 pounds or 
less, the transfer fee is $5. 
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §503, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
1.  Replacements.  Replacement registration plates are furnished to replace lost or 
mutilated plates or plates assigned to the registrant that have not been expired for more 
than 8 months.  The fee for each plate is $5. 
Replacement registration validation devices for number plates or truck campers are 
furnished for 50¢ each. 
Sec. 5.  29-A MRSA §508, as amended by PL 1999, c. 790, Pt. C, §10 and 
affected by §19, is repealed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill repeals the registration requirements for truck campers, which are slide-in 
campers designed to be mounted on a truck body to provide temporary living quarters for 
recreational, camping, travel or other use.