| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §351, as amended by PL 1995, c. 584, Pt. B, §4, | is further amended to read: |
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| §351. Registration required |
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| | The owner of a vehicle that is operated or remains on a public | way is responsible for registering the vehicle. |
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| | 1. Failure to register. A person commits a Class E crime if | that person vehicle owner who fails to register a vehicle that is | operated or remains on a public way as provided by this Title. | commits: |
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| A.__A civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more | than $50 may be adjudged if the vehicle was registered and | the registration has been expired for more than 30 days but | less than 120 days; or |
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| B.__A Class E crime if the vehicle was not registered or the | registration has been expired for 120 days or more. |
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| | 1-A. Residents required to register. An owner of a vehicle | who becomes a resident of this State shall register that vehicle | in this State within 30 days of establishing residency. A person | An owner who operates or allows a vehicle that is not registered | in accordance with this subsection to remain on a public way | commits a Class E crime pursuant to violates subsection 1. |
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| | 2. Operating a vehicle with an expired registration. The | owner or operator of a vehicle stopped by a law enforcement | officer and having a registration that had has expired within the | last 30 days must be issued a warning, rather than a summons, in | a form designated by the Chief of the State Police. This warning | must state that: |
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| A. Within 2 business days, the owner or operator must | register the vehicle; |
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| B. The renewed registration expires on the same month as | the previous registration; and |
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| C. The registration fee is the same as for a full year | year's registration. |
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| | 3. Temporary permit to tow unregistered vehicle. A law | enforcement officer or an employee of the bureau designated by | the Secretary of State may issue a permit in writing to allow: |
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