Maine Antique Registrations

[Ray]

Heads up for registration renewals.... Maine BMV is requiring a new Antique Auto affidavit be completed for re-registrations this year. The revision date on the new form is 10/2013. Substantial changes include text which was formerly buried elsewhere in the statutes that restricts the vehicle use to exhibitions, club activities, parades or events of public interest. They also require that you now specifically identify your Primary Vehicle by plate number. They shut off antique registrations online forcing you to bring the new affidavit to your town office or a BMV service center to redo paperwork. This is only mildly irritating as they were very mum about the new requirement and as of yesterday, still had the old affidavit linked from the BMV website in the Antique Auto section.

I don't know about the rest of you, but every time mine goes on the road it is an event of public interest for one reason or another, and during tourist season somebody always wants their picture taken with it (an exhibition?).

Does showing the world we can keep these "mature" trucks running well classify as a club activity?

Driving down the road, I usually lead a "Parade" of cars wishing they could go faster than 45.

Not my DD anyway, but when it goes out, no worries.....not a problem after all!

[NC_Mule]

Driving down the road, I usually lead a "Parade" of cars wishing they could go faster than 45.

Ha-Ha too funny but also true.

[stomper]

That is one of the reasons I just registered mine as a passenger vehicle from the get go. I didn't realize they were making this change, but it is mostly because of the 1980's mud runner trucks that people register as an antique to keep from having it fail the inspection process.

Every time I take mine for an inspection, they always ask me why it isn't registered as an antique. Then they just slap a sticker on it because they don't want to embarrass themselves by not knowing how to start it, whether it is legal not to have seat belts, etc!

[SafeAirOne]

You Mainahs don't have to get antique vehicles inspected? Must be the tradeoff--We have to get the normal annual inspection, but have unrestricted antique vehicle usage. Most economical registration around, too. I think my DD antique 109 costs me about half as much as the safety inspection or about $20 or $25 bucks.

[stomper]

The only advantage to an Antique registration here in Maine is the lack of an annual inspection, which costs $12.50 in central and northern Maine, and I believe $18.50 in Southern Maine to cover an emissions test as well.

The registration cost is identical, you still have to pay excise tax each year on the cost of the vehicle's purchase price when new, and you technically can't drive the vehicle except as mentioned above. I don't know about others here in Maine, but $12.50 in savings isn't worth the possible harassment from a LEO, and I keep my vehicle in good enough condition that I would pass an inspection anyway.

[NC_Mule]

Nothing over 35 years old has to be inspected in NC. Weird because those vehicles are more likely to have safety issues. Mine would pass but it's nice not to have to mess with anything when you renew your place each year.
pb

[Jim-ME]

My Rover is registered as a regular vehicle because of the gray area of the antique registration and the home town cops "seeing it on the road" too much. I drive is daily and personally was very happy once it would actually pass inspection. In ME I see no benefit to Antique registrations especially under the new law changes. If you think hard about it, a vehicle should be safe to be on the road no matter how old it is.
Jim

[TedW]

The only advantage to an Antique registration here in Maine is the lack of an annual inspection, which costs $12.50 in central and northern Maine, and I believe $18.50 in Southern Maine to cover an emissions test as well.

The registration cost is identical, you still have to pay excise tax each year on the cost of the vehicle's purchase price when new, and you technically can't drive the vehicle except as mentioned above. I don't know about others here in Maine, but $12.50 in savings isn't worth the possible harassment from a LEO, and I keep my vehicle in good enough condition that I would pass an inspection anyway.

Stomp: I have a regular Maine plate and get annual inspections here in Falmouth. However, I've never had to undergo the sniffer test. Good thing, even with my new engine - would probably blow out the dial on the machine!

Ted

[stomper]

I thought I read somewhere that Cumberland and York County had an increased inspection fee because of this. Makes no difference, as long as I have an address in the central Maine area!

Thanks for the info Ted!

[Contractor]

You boys got it bad..........what's an inspection?

[stomper]

I'll take the bad with the inspections, at least we don't have poisonous creepy crawlies, tornadoes, earthquakes, and people playing the "knockout game"

[stomper]

Ted, apparently I was correct. There is a smog/emission test in Cumberland county.

http://www.dmv.org/me-maine/smog-check.php

it is $15.50 for vehicles older than 1996, and $18.50 for newer. an Antique plate avoids this emission test, just as it does the regular inspection.

[TedW]

Ted, apparently I was correct. There is a smog/emission test in Cumberland county.

http://www.dmv.org/me-maine/smog-check.php

it is $15.50 for vehicles older than 1996, and $18.50 for newer. an Antique plate avoids this emission test, just as it does the regular inspection.

Aha! I see - since I have a 1970 it doesn't really cover much.

[TedW]

I'll take the bad with the inspections, at least we don't have poisonous creepy crawlies, tornadoes, earthquakes, and people playing the "knockout game"

Very true - we do, however, get oodles of salt on the roads - and also (where I live, anyway) in the air. It's always a tradeoff, I suppose.

[SafeAirOne]

You boys got it bad..........what's an inspection?

Boy I miss South Carolina...The only place I've been where a handwritten sign that says "tag applied for" is an acceptable alternative to a license plate.