An Act to Clarify Licensing Jurisdiction for Manufactured Housing Communities
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1825
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: JACKSON, BOYLE, BAILEY, BENNETT, ARATA, CLOUTIER, COLLINGS, GRAHAM, PERRY
Amends: 10 MRSA §9083, 10 MRSA §9088, 30-A MRSA §4358

Legislative Document
No. 1825
S.P. 741
In Senate, April 27, 2023
An Act to Clarify Licensing Jurisdiction for Manufactured Housing 
Communities
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by President JACKSON of Aroostook.
Cosponsored by Representative BOYLE of Gorham and
Senators: BAILEY of York, BENNETT of Oxford, Representatives: ARATA of New 
Gloucester, CLOUTIER of Lewiston, COLLINGS of Portland, GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, 
PERRY of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §9083, as amended by PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. B, §30, is further 
amended to read:
§9083.  Fees
Application and license fees for manufactured housing communities are set under 
section 9021, subsection 2‑A, including applications for manufactured housing community 
expansion and license renewal.  Fees are also set under section 9021, subsection 2‑A for 
manufactured housing community inspections; for the cost of reviewing engineering and 
site plans; for costs incurred in evaluating an applicant’s eligibility for licensure as a 
manufactured housing community; and for costs incurred in evaluating a licensee’s 
ongoing compliance with the requirements of this subchapter and the rules of the board.  
Failure to pay costs billed to an applicant or licensee within 90 days of the billing date 
constitutes grounds for license revocation, unless an extension for an additional period not 
to exceed 90 days is granted in writing by the board. A municipality shall accept a license 
issued by the board as evidence a manufactured housing community meets all requirements 
to operate. A municipality may not charge any additional fees for a manufactured housing 
community to operate.
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §9088, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 553, §17, is amended 
to read:
5.  Charge.  Municipalities may not charge the board for performing those inspections.
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §9088, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. D, §15, is 
repealed.
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §4358, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1995, c. 199, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Location of manufactured housing.  Municipalities shall permit allow 
manufactured housing to be placed or erected on individual house lots in a number of 
locations on undeveloped lots where single-family dwellings are allowed, subject to the 
same requirements as single-family dwellings, except as otherwise provided in this section.
A.  For the locations required by this section, municipal ordinances may not require 
that manufactured housing on individual lots be greater than 14 feet in width, although 
municipalities may establish design criteria, including, but not limited to, a pitched, 
shingled roof; a permanent foundation; and exterior siding that is residential in 
appearance, provided that as long as:
(1)  The requirements do not have the effect of circumventing the purposes of this 
section; and
(2)  The design requirements may not be used to prevent the relocation of any 
manufactured housing, regardless of its date of manufacture, that is legally sited 
within the municipality as of August 4, 1988.
B.  Providing one or more zones or locations where mobile home parks or mobile home 
subdivisions or developments are allowed does not constitute compliance with this 
section.
C.  This section does not prohibit municipalities from establishing controls on 
manufactured housing which that are less restrictive than are permitted by this section.
D.  Municipalities may not prohibit manufactured housing, regardless of its date of 
manufacture, solely on the basis of a date of manufacture before June 14, 1976, or the 
failure of a unit to have been manufactured in accordance with the National 
Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, United States 
Code, Title 42, Chapter 70.  Municipalities may apply the design standards permitted 
by this section to all manufactured housing, regardless of its date of manufacture, and 
may apply reasonable safety standards to manufactured housing built before June 15, 
1976, or not built in accordance with the National Manufactured Housing Construction 
and Safety Standards Act of 1974, United States Code, Title 42, Chapter 70.
E.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any modular home that meets 
construction standards for state-certified manufactured homes adopted pursuant to 
Title 10, section 9042 must be allowed in all zones where other single-family homes 
are allowed.
Sec. 5.  30-A MRSA §4358, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §45 and 
Pt. C, §10, is amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
In municipalities which that require any type of permit for manufactured housing, the 
permit is deemed to be not approved or valid until payment of the sales tax has been 
certified. A municipality may not charge a fee for any type of permit for manufactured 
housing or the installation of manufactured housing if the manufactured housing or 
installation is governed by rules of the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development or the Manufactured Housing Board.
SUMMARY
This bill requires a municipality to accept a license issued by the Manufactured 
Housing Board as evidence a manufactured housing community meets all requirements to 
operate. The bill provides that a municipality may not charge any additional fees for a 
manufactured housing community to operate.  The bill also provides that a municipality 
may not charge a fee for any type of permit for manufactured housing if the manufactured 
housing or the installation thereof is governed by rules of the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development or the Manufactured Housing Board.