An Act To Extend Electronic Proof of Registration to All-terrain Vehicles, Snowmobiles and Watercraft
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1244
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: LANDRY, THERIAULT
Amends: 12 MRSA §13056, 12 MRSA §13104, 12 MRSA §13155

Legislative Document
No. 1244
H.P. 910
House of Representatives, March 25, 2021
An Act To Extend Electronic Proof of Registration to All-terrain 
Vehicles, Snowmobiles and Watercraft
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 23, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative LANDRY of Farmington.
Cosponsored by Representative: THERIAULT of China.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §13056, sub-§1-A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. OO, §13, 
is further amended to read:
1-A.  Operating without certificate of number.  Except as provided in paragraph A, 
a person may not operate or give permission to operate a motorboat requiring a certificate 
of number without a current certificate of number or a current temporary certificate of 
number. Only the certificate of number or temporary certificate of number as issued by the 
commissioner is valid.  A Except as provided in subsection 12, paragraph A, a facsimile or 
copy of the certificate is not valid.
A.  The certificate of number for a watercraft less than 26 feet in length and leased or 
rented to another for the latter's noncommercial use may be retained on shore by the 
owner of the watercraft or the owner's representative at the place where the watercraft 
departs or returns to the possession of the owner or the owner's representative, as long 
as the person leasing or renting the watercraft has a copy of the lease or rental 
agreement that shows the watercraft number thereon and the period of time for which 
the watercraft is leased or rented and that is signed by the owner or the owner's 
representative.
B.  The following penalties apply to violations of this subsection.
(1)  A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a 
fine of not less than $200 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.
(2)  A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as having 
committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year 
period commits a Class E crime.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §13056, sub-§12, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
A.  The operator shall have the certificate of number available for inspection on the 
motorboat for which it was issued whenever the motorboat is in operation.  The 
operator may have the certificate of number available for inspection in electronic form 
on the motorboat for which it was issued.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §13104, sub-§12-A, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 651, §18, 
is further amended to read:
A.  A person shall:
(1)  Provide a registration certificate or an online registration receipt for inspection 
by any law enforcement officer on demand.  A person may provide a registration 
certificate or an online registration receipt in electronic form; and
(2)  Display a registration number assigned to a snowmobile in such form and 
manner as the commissioner may determine, except that an antique snowmobile is 
not required to display registration numbers.  A person may operate a snowmobile 
registered online without displaying a registration number until that person 
receives the registration certificate from the department or for 30 days after 
registering the snowmobile online, whichever occurs first.
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §13155, sub-§8-A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 340, §22, is 
further amended to read:
8-A.  Registration inspection.  An owner or operator of an ATV shall present a 
registration certificate or an online registration receipt for inspection by any law 
enforcement officer on demand.  An owner or operator of an ATV may present a 
registration certificate or an online registration receipt in electronic form.
A.  A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of 
not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.
B.  A person who violates this subsection after having been adjudicated as having 
committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year period 
commits a Class E crime.
SUMMARY
This bill allows a person to present or have available for inspection an electronic form 
of a registration certificate, online registration receipt or certificate of number for a 
snowmobile, watercraft or all-terrain vehicle.