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An Act To Provide for 2-year Motor Vehicle Inspection Stickers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
 
1. Inspection required.   Except as provided in this chapter or section 2307, subsection 1, a motor vehicle required to be registered in this State must have an annual inspection every 2 years. A person may have a motor vehicle inspected more frequently.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1751, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 786, §1, is amended to read:
 
2-A. Enhanced inspection.   Beginning January 1, 1999, a motor vehicle that is required to be registered in Cumberland County and that is subject to inspection pursuant to subsection 1 must have an annuala biennial enhanced inspection. The following equipment is subject to inspection:
 
A.  Equipment subject to inspection pursuant to subsection 2;
 
B.  The fuel tank cap on 1974 and subsequent models of gasoline-powered vehicles; and
 
C.  The on-board diagnostic system on 1996 and subsequent models.
 
A motor vehicle that is not required to be registered in Cumberland County may have an enhanced inspection under this subsection.
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§4, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 314, §7, is further amended to read:
 
B. Has a partial annualbiennial inspection of the running gear, steering mechanism, brakes, exhaust system and lights; safety glass under section 1915; and tires under section 1917; and
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§7, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 314, §8, is further amended to read:
 
B. Has a partial annualbiennial inspection consisting of the running gear, steering mechanism, brakes, exhaust system and lights; safety glass under section 1915; and tires under section 1917, subsection 3; and
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §1752, sub-§8, ¶C, as amended by PL 2003, c. 125, §2 and amended by c. 397, §5, is further amended to read:
 
C. Has a partial annualbiennial inspection of running gear, steering mechanism, brakes and exhaust system and tires under section 1917, subsection 3;
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §1753, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §2, is further amended to read:
 
1. Inspection required.   Except as provided in subsection 4, a commercial motor vehicle that is required to be registered in this State, is used in intrastate or interstate commerce and has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, including the gross vehicle weight rating or gross weight of any trailer or semitrailer, must be inspected annuallybiennially pursuant to this chapter. Except as provided in subsection 4, a trailer or semitrailer that has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 7,000 pounds, independent of the towing vehicle, must be inspected annuallybiennially. A trailer or semitrailer must also be inspected annuallybiennially when:
 
A. Engaged in interstate commerce and used with a motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, including the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of a trailer or semitrailer and load; or
 
B. Except as provided in subsection 4, engaged in intrastate commerce and used with a motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, including the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of a trailer or semitrailer and load.
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §1753, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §§3 to 5, is further amended to read:
 
4. Vehicles exempt from biennial inspection.   The following vehicles are exempt from the requirements of this section:
 
A.  When used exclusively in intrastate commerce, a trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight, including any load, that does not exceed 3,000 pounds;
 
B.  When used exclusively in intrastate commerce, a semitrailer designed and used exclusively for dispensing cable from reels attached to the semitrailer, commonly called a reel trailer, and any semitrailer designed and used exclusively to support the ends of poles being transported, commonly called a pole dolly, when the gross weight of the semitrailer and load does not exceed 12,000 pounds;
 
C.  Any mobile home, empty storage trailer or empty storage semitrailer displaying a trailer transit plate in accordance with section 954, subsections 4 and 5;
 
D.  A farm truck or a fish truck exempted under section 1752;
 
E.  A trailer or semitrailer displaying a valid certificate of inspection from another state or a federally approved commercial vehicle inspection program until the normal expiration of its certificate of inspection; and
 
F. A camp trailer.
 
SUMMARY
This bill changes the law to require motor vehicle inspections every 2 years.