An Act to Modernize the Motor Vehicle Inspection Program and
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0566
Sponsors: FARRIN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1751, 29-A MRSA §1751-A, 29-A MRSA §2307

Legislative Document
No. 566
S.P. 246
In Senate, February 25, 2025
An Act to Modernize the Motor Vehicle Inspection Program and 
Amend the Law Governing Inspection Fees
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 19, 2025.  Referred to the Committee 
on Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator FARRIN of Somerset.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, CRAFTS of Newcastle, 
DUCHARME of Madison.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 234, §2, is 
amended to read:
3-A.  Inspection fees fee.  An inspection station may charge the following fees: a fee 
of not more than $20 for an inspection performed under subsection 2 or 2-A.
A.  For inspections performed under subsection 2, the fee may not be more than $12.50;
B.  For inspections of pre-1996 model vehicles performed under subsection 2‑A, the 
fee may not be more than $15.50; and
C.  For inspections of 1996 and subsequent model vehicles performed under subsection 
2‑A, the fee may not be more than $18.50.
The inspection fee is payable whether the vehicle passes inspection or not.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §1751-A is enacted to read:
§1751-A.  Electronic inspection program
The Chief of the State Police may require the use of an electronic inspection program 
for the purpose of inspections performed under this chapter. For the purposes of this 
section, "electronic inspection program" means a program, designated by the Chief of the 
State Police by rule, that uses electronically generated data as part of an inspection and 
permits the creation and exchange of an electronic record for maintaining inspection 
information.
1. Implementation. The Chief of the State Police may contract with a private entity to 
implement an electronic inspection program.
2. Phased approach. The Chief of the State Police may develop by rule an approach 
to phase in the implementation of an electronic inspection program throughout the State.
3. Fee. The Chief of the State Police may designate by rule a fee that an inspection 
station must pay to the State for each inspection performed using an electronic inspection 
program. A fee required under this subsection may not be more than the cost to the State 
of using the electronic inspection program to perform an inspection.
4. Rules. The Chief of the State Police shall adopt rules to implement this section. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §2307, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
4.  Fee.  The operator of an official school bus inspection station is entitled to a fee of 
$8 $20 for each school bus inspected.  The fee does not include labor or material used in 
correction of faults.
SUMMARY
 This bill authorizes the Chief of the State Police to require the use of an electronic 
inspection program for the purpose of performing motor vehicle inspections.  It also 
authorizes an inspection station to charge a $20 fee for inspection regardless of the model 
year of the inspected vehicle and provides that an operator of an official school bus 
inspection station is entitled to a fee of $20 for each school bus inspected.