130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2021
Legislative Document No. 990
S.P. 320 In Senate, March 10, 2021
An Act Regarding Veterans License Plates
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator ROSEN of Hancock.
Cosponsored by Senators: DESCHAMBAULT of York, FARRIN of Somerset, LUCHINI of
Hancock, Representatives: COREY of Windham, KINNEY of Knox.
Printed on recycled paper
 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2 Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2017, c. 43, §2 and PL 2019,
3 c. 377, §6, is further amended to read:
4 3. Special veterans registration plates. The Secretary of State, on application and
5 evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and a one-time
6 payment of the registration fee required by section 501 or by section 504, subsection 1 for
7 a vehicle with a registered gross weight over 10,000 pounds, shall issue a registration
8 certificate and a set of special veterans registration plates to be used in lieu of regular
9 registration plates for a vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 26,000
10 pounds to any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been
11 honorably discharged or to a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces for
12 at least 3 years and continues to serve. If a person who qualifies for a special veterans
13 registration plate under this subsection is the primary driver of up to 3 vehicles, the
14 Secretary of State may issue in accordance with this section a set of special veterans
15 registration plates for each vehicle, and the registration fee required by section 501 or by
16 section 504, subsection 1 must be paid annually for each additional plate issued after the
17 first set.
18 Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of Transfer
19 or Discharge, DD Form 214, certification from the United States Veterans Administration
20 or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the applicant's
21 military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department of Defense,
22 Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services verifying
23 active duty military service and length of service.
24 The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who
25 has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
26 All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special registration plates is retained by
27 the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
28 The surviving spouse of a special veteran plate recipient issued plates in accordance with
29 this subsection may retain and display the special veteran plates as long as the surviving
30 spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the special
31 veteran plates on a motor vehicle, but may retain them as a keepsake. Upon the death of
32 the surviving spouse, the family may retain the special veteran plates, but may not use them
33 on a motor vehicle.
34 The Secretary of State may issue a special disability registration plate for veterans in
35 accordance with section 521, subsections 1, 5, 7 and 9. The special disability registration
36 plate for veterans must bear the International Symbol of Access. The registration fee
37 required by section 501 or by section 504, subsection 1 is a one-time payment for the
38 special disability registration plate for a veteran for the first plate issued to that veteran and
39 an annual fee for each additional plate issued.
40 The Secretary of State may issue a set of special veterans registration plates when the
41 qualifying veteran is the primary driver of a company-owned vehicle if:
42 A. The company is owned solely by a veteran who qualifies for a veteran plate under
43 this section;
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 1 B. The vehicle is leased by a veteran who qualifies for the veteran plate under this
2 subsection; or
3 C. The vehicle is leased by the employer of a veteran who qualifies for the veteran
4 plate and the employer has assigned the vehicle exclusively to the veteran. The
5 employer must attest in writing that the veteran will have exclusive use of the vehicle
6 and agrees to the display of the special veteran plate.
7 Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 356, §12 and PL
8 2019, c. 377, §6, is further amended to read:
9 3-A. Motorcycle plates; veterans. In addition to any plate issued pursuant to
10 subsection 3, the Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise
11 tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the registration fee required by section 515,
12 subsection 1, shall issue a registration certificate and a special veterans registration plate
13 for up to 3 designated motorcycles owned or controlled by a person who has served in the
14 United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged or to a person who
15 has served in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years and continues to serve.
16 The registration fee required by section 515, subsection 1 is a one-time payment for the
17 first plate issued and an annual payment for each additional plate issued.
18 Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of Transfer
19 or Discharge, DD Form 214, certification from the United States Department of Veterans
20 Affairs or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the
21 applicant's military service and honorable discharge, or a letter from the Department of
22 Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services
23 verifying active duty military service and length of service.
24 The Secretary of State shall recall a special veterans registration plate of a recipient who
25 has been less than honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
26 All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special veterans registration plates is
27 retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
28 Upon request the Secretary of State shall issue special veterans registration plates for a
29 motorcycle that are also vanity plates. These plates are issued in accordance with this
30 section and section 453. Vanity plates issued under this subsection may not duplicate
31 vanity plates issued in another class of plate.
32 The surviving spouse of a recipient of a special veterans registration plate issued in
33 accordance with this subsection may retain and use the plate or plates as long as the
34 surviving spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use
35 the plate or plates, but may retain them. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the family
36 may retain the plate or plates, but may not use them.
37 The Secretary of State may not issue special commemorative decals under subsection 5 or
38 6 for use on special veterans registration plates for a motorcycle.
39 SUMMARY
40 This bill allows a veteran who applies for a special veterans registration plate for an
41 automobile or a motorcycle to pay the registration fee only once for the first set of plates
42 issued. Any additional issuance of plates requires payment of the fee annually.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 990, SP 320: 29-A.523