An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1901, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
§ 1901. General restriction
A person may not use , sell or equip a vehicle with a lens, muffler, reflector, lighting device, window-tinting material or other for use on a public way with aftermarket equipment contrary to this Title or contrary to the rules of the Chief of the State Police.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1912, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1912, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by Pt. B, §5, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §1912, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2005, c. 314, §11, is further amended to read:
This subsection applies to motor vehicles as defined in section 101, subsection 42, except that it does not apply to motorcycles.
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §1916, sub-§1, ¶C, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
Sec. 6. 29-A MRSA §1916, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
(1) A certificate or other paper required or allowed by law to be displayed , which must be removable for safety reasons when the vehicle is being driven on a public way;
(2) The label attached to a window showing the price, estimated mileage and other federally mandated information commonly known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price label , which must be removable for safety reasons when the vehicle is being driven on a public way;
(3) Sun-screening or window-tinting material along a 4-inch strip at the AS 1 line. For purposes of this paragraph, "AS 1 line" means a parallel line 5 inches from the top of the windshield; or
(4) Motor vehicles for which the Chief of the State Police has granted an exception because the health of the owner or a person who usually occupies the vehicle is adversely affected by sunlight. The Chief of the State Police may, upon proper application, provide the owner of a motor vehicle with a certificate of exemption that must be displayed upon the request of a law enforcement officer.
Sec. 7. 29-A MRSA §1917, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 146, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. 8. 29-A MRSA §1920, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2005, c. 276, §2, is further amended to read:
summary
This bill makes several changes to the equipment requirements of the motor vehicle laws, including:
1. Making the prohibition of aftermarket equipment more general by removing the list of specific equipment as well as the prohibition on the sale of aftermarket equipment;
2. Removing the excessive or unusual noise prohibition on mufflers;
3. Removing the prohibition on operating a motor vehicle with a modified exhaust system that amplifies or increases motor noise;
4. Reduces from 50% to 35% the amount of light transmittance a tinted window may allow;
5. Requires that certificates and papers required by law and price and mileage labels that are displayed on windows be removable for safety reasons;
6. Expands by 1 inch the sun-screening or tinting material allowed at the top of a windshield;
7. Exempts street rods, custom vehicles and trucks from the requirement that the overall diameter of a wheel with altered rims be within the manufacturer’s specifications; and
8. Limits the prohibition against removing suspension systems to when the purpose is to defeat the safe operation of the suspension system.