§517. Government vehicles

1.  Exemption.  The following vehicles are exempt from registration fees, but must be registered and are subject to inspection requirements:

A. Vehicles owned by the State;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

B. Vehicles owned by a county;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

C. Vehicles owned or used by a municipality;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

D.   [PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. A, §153 (AFF); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §4 (RP); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §15 (AFF).]

E. Vehicles owned by a school district;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

F. Vehicles owned by a water district;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

G. Vehicles loaned by a dealer for use in driver education in a public school or private secondary school;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

H. Vehicles loaned by a dealer to a municipality for use by a law enforcement agency for educational purposes;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

I. Vehicles loaned to the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System and used in organized programs;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF); PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 (AMD); PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §4 (AFF).]

J. Vehicles owned by the University of Maine System;   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

K. School buses operated under a lease of at least 30 days to a municipality or school district; and   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

L. Vehicles used in volunteer ambulance or rescue squad services.   [PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

[PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. A, §153 (AFF); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §4 (AMD); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §15 (AFF); PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 (AMD); PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §4 (AFF).]

1-A.  Vehicles owned or used by fire departments.  Vehicles owned or used exclusively by municipal fire departments or volunteer fire associations as defined in Title 30-A, section 3151 are exempt from registration requirements and registration fees. The Secretary of State shall register vehicles owned or used exclusively by a municipal fire department or a volunteer fire association upon request of the municipality or volunteer fire association.

Vehicles owned or used by municipal fire departments or volunteer fire associations are not exempt from the inspection requirements of chapter 15, subchapter I.

[PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. A, §153 (AFF); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §5 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. C, §15 (AFF).]

1-B.  Low-speed vehicle.  A low-speed vehicle loaned by a dealer to a municipality is exempt from registration fees and is not subject to inspection pursuant to section 1752 but must be registered and must be in compliance with equipment provisions under section 1925.

[PL 2003, c. 490, Pt. D, §1 (NEW).]

2.  Plates.  The Secretary of State shall issue distinctive plates that expire at the end of a 6-year period for state plates and a 10-year period for municipal plates within the semipermanent plate program. Notwithstanding section 501, subsection 11, the Secretary of State shall issue distinctive municipal plates under this subsection to a low-speed vehicle owned by a municipality or loaned by a dealer to a municipality. Vehicles owned by the State may display a marker or insignia, approved by the Secretary of State, plainly designating them as owned by the State.

The Secretary of State may issue environmental or sportsman registration plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry with authorization from the department's commissioner. The Secretary of State may issue environmental or sportsman registration plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Baxter State Park Authority with authorization from the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the commissioner's capacity as a member of the Baxter State Park Authority. A state-owned vehicle issued environmental or sportsman registration plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 455, subsection 4.

The Secretary of State may issue agricultural education plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry with authorization from the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. A state-owned vehicle issued agricultural education plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 456-F, subsection 2.

The Secretary of State may issue lobster plates to a state-owned vehicle assigned to the Department of Marine Resources with authorization from the Commissioner of Marine Resources. A state-owned vehicle issued lobster plates must display a marker or insignia designating the vehicle as state-owned and is exempt from registration fees and the contribution under section 456-A, subsection 2.

[PL 2009, c. 598, §3 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §§5, 6 (REV).]

3.  Exception.  If an exempt vehicle is leased or rented for commercial purposes, registration fees must be paid for that vehicle.

[PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

4.  Unmarked law enforcement vehicles.  An unmarked motor vehicle used primarily for law enforcement purposes, when authorized by the Secretary of State and upon approval from the appropriate requesting authority, is exempt from displaying a special registration plate. Records for all unmarked vehicle registrations are confidential.

[PL 2015, c. 250, Pt. C, §5 (AMD).]

5.  Municipal police vehicles.  A vehicle owned by a municipality and used by a full-time law enforcement department may be issued special police registration plates at the request of the chief law enforcement official of that municipality.

[PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

6.  Federal government vehicles.  The Secretary of State may issue registration certificates and plates without fee to federal or other governmental agencies. Vehicles owned by the Federal Government used under lease to a Maine resident must be registered in this State.

[PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

7.  County sheriff vehicles.  A vehicle owned by a county and used by a full-time law enforcement department may be issued special registration plates at the request of the chief law enforcement official of the county. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Maine Sheriffs' Association, shall design county law enforcement registration plates. A county sheriff requesting special plates shall reimburse the Highway Fund the cost associated with the production and issuance of the plates.

[PL 1995, c. 428, §1 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1993, c. 683, §A2 (NEW). PL 1993, c. 683, §B5 (AFF). PL 1995, c. 65, §§A91,C4,5 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 65, §§A153,C15 (AFF). PL 1995, c. 202, §1 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 428, §1 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 20, §OO2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 20, §OO4 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 490, §§D1,2 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 435, §4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 598, §3 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §§5, 6 (REV). PL 2015, c. 250, Pt. C, §5 (AMD).