An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §101, sub-§11, as amended by PL 2013, c. 381, Pt. B, §3, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §406, sub-§§1 and 2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, are repealed.
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §455, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 703, §2 and PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §6, is further amended to read:
The design must accommodate the use of numbers and letters as provided in section 453. Upon request and as provided by section 453, the Secretary of State shall issue environmental plates that are also vanity plates. Environmental vanity plates are issued in accordance with this section and section 453. The Secretary of State may modify class codes and create unique identifiers for the purpose of expanding the program. The annual service fee of $15 for vanity plates is credited to the Highway Fund. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §456-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. LLLL, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §515-B, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 734, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §521, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2011, c. 23, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 69, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §1301, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 163, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 9. 29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§1, ¶H, as amended by PL 2013, c. 381, Pt. B, §16, is further amended to read:
(1) A period of 6 months has passed from the date the person was issued a learner's permit; and
(2) The person has completed a minimum of 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours of night driving, while accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed driver at least 20 years of age. The parent, stepparent or guardian, or a spouse or employer pursuant to section 1302, subsection 1, paragraphs B and C, must certify the person's driving time on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State. A parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer who certifies a driving log pursuant to this subsection and was not the licensed driver accompanying the applicant must provide the name and address of the licensed driver who accompanied the applicant for the majority of the 35 70 hours of driving. The Secretary of State may complete the certification for an applicant at least 18 years of age and who has no parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer if the applicant provides the name and address of the licensed driver who accompanied the applicant for the majority of the 35 70 hours of driving.
A person 21 years of age or older is not required to submit certification of driving time to the Secretary of State.
Sec. 10. 29-A MRSA §1410, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2013, c. 163, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §1851, sub-§§5 and 6, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, are amended to read:
Sec. 12. 29-A MRSA §1851, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
Sec. 13. 29-A MRSA §2472, sub-§2-B, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 654, §12, is amended to read:
summary
This bill makes the following changes to the motor vehicle laws.
1. It changes the definition of "bus" to be consistent with federal law.
2. It repeals the requirement that a vehicle registrant return that registrant's registration certificate to the Secretary of State upon the transfer of ownership of the vehicle.
3. It standardizes the language for vanity plates for environmental registration plates, sportsman registration plates, Purple Heart motorcycle registration plates and veterans registration plates to be the same as other vanity plates.
4. It restructures the law relative to the issuance of disability plates and placards and provides that disability plates and placards may be issued for up to 6 years.
5. It clarifies that the exemption from the requirement to establish legal presence when issuing a driver's license applies to certain citizens and legal permanent residents applying for the renewal of a driver's license.
6. It corrects an inconsistency in the laws governing the number of practice hours a person under 21 years of age must complete before applying for a driver's license.
7. It clarifies that the exemption from the requirement to establish legal presence when issuing a nondriver identification card applies to certain citizens and legal permanent residents applying for the renewal of a nondriver identification card.
8. It provides that the laws governing abandoned vehicles apply to vehicles left at a storage facility.
9. It allows for a person to be scheduled for the required road test after that person's juvenile provisional license is restored after a suspension instead of making it a requirement of restoration. All other restoration requirements must be met and, if the examination is not successfully completed within 90 days after restoration, an additional suspension for noncompliance will be imposed.