Maine lawmakers are again considering proposals to allow the State Police to require the use of an electronic inspection program for the state’s annual vehicle safety inspections.
If approved, this would create an electronic surveillance system to track vehicle inspections that mechanics around the state would be required to use, if directed to by the State Police.
More specifically, an “electronic inspection program” is defined in these proposals as a program designated by the Chief of the State Police “that uses electronically generated data as part of an inspection and permits the creation and exchange of an electronic record for maintaining inspection information.”
So far this session, two nearly identical bills have been introduced that would allow the State Police to adopt and mandate the use of such a program.
This, however, is not the first time that Maine lawmakers have attempted to institute a potentially mandatory surveillance program for annual vehicle safety inspections.
In 2023, legislators resoundingly rejected a Republican-sponsored bill seeking to implement a program identical to that which is included in the bills introduced so far this year.
After narrowly advancing in the House, Senate lawmakers shot the proposal down in a 30-2 roll call vote, with only Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset) and Sen. Matthew Pouliot (R-Kennebec) voting in support of the measure.
[RELATED: Maine Senate Rejects Vehicle Inspections Fee Hike and Electronic Surveillance System]
Of the two bills introduced so far this year, the primary difference between them lies not in the guidelines for the electronic inspection program itself, but in how each piece of legislation seeks to alter the fees that may charged for these inspections.
Currently, state law caps inspection fees at $12.50, but this would be raised significantly under both proposals, albeit to different degrees.
LD 566, sponsored by Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset), would raise this limit to $20, while LD 667, sponsored by Rep. Wayne R. Parry (R-Arundel), would cap fees at 2.5 times the state minimum wage.
Based on the current minimum wage of $14.65, this would mean that the cap would be initially set at $36.63.
[RELATED: Maine’s Annual Vehicle Inspection Requirement in the Cross-Hairs of Bipartisan Legislators]
These, however, are not the only changes to the state’s safety inspection requirements that have been introduced so far this session.
Another group of Republican lawmakers proposed legislation earlier this year that seeks to eliminate the annual safety inspection program entirely.
Similarly, Rep. Amy J. Roeder (D-Bangor) brought forward a bill that would exempt new cars from the annual safety inspection for the first three years after they are manufactured.
Both of the bills looking to implement an electronic inspection program and raise the limit on inspection fees have been referred to the Legislature’s Transportation Committee for further consideration, but a public hearing has not yet been scheduled for either one.
The state of Maine is already bringing a lot of pressure on local garages – it’s not uncommon now to wait an hour while the garage biopsies the vehicle from bumper to bumper.
Just another example of government waste.
Well isn’t that a nice big step to an even more intrusive surveillance state
No garage owner will do inspections. Why bother? Get put under a microscope for a few bucks! Not going to happen.
the Maine inspection program is a outdated failed system need to be shut down there no data to support safety it has turned into a money grab for the garages to extort money from consumers there is a ton of fraud in it many states do fine without state inspection get rid of it once and for all
There are States which do not have inspections. Do those States have more accidents than Maine?
Maybe our Government should have inspection sticklers for our schools. Can they they read, write, and etc.
Just one more regulatory burden on the taxpayers. We do not need the nanny state taxing our auto’s any more than they do already..
Sounds like another stupid idea to force unreliable EVs on the people of Maine. Let’s start with less potholes in the roads then go back to road salt! Not this liquid battery acid they like spraying the roads with that eats everything it touches.
Half billion in debt, failing schools, teachers who demand raises with shorter days and elimination of cursive writing, new mainers with guns, men in girls sports and bathrooms, a governor who lost a pissing contest with the president, rising taxes, an AG and SS who define the word corruption. Oh shit lets concentrate on car inspections. You all suck.
END the nanny state vehicle inspection racket already! FFS!
Maybe the control-freak Maine state government needs to magically stop frost heave first! Jerks!
This is step 1. Once this is put in place you will be entered into a barcode system, and every year you will receive a friendly letter from the DMV telling you your sticker is due, and if it’s not scanned at an Inspection Station in 14 days, your registration will be revoked, and insurance cancelled. This is how it all started in Mass years ago. In rural Maine however, there IS no other transportation in most places, so no sticker….you’re out of luck. Won’t that be wonderful for seniors who have paid IN to this criminal state all their lives ?
One of the biggest scams in Despicable Maine is vehicle inspection. Can’t get a useless sticker on my car because of a rust hole in the fender about the size of a nickel. It is NOT about safety, it is about making me a lawbreaker to suck money I don’t have and keep me stuck in a cycle of misery. This scam is one of the bigger reasons I left Maine. Now they want to take this scam to the next level. I never regretted leaving forever. I knew the abuse was going to be endless. I was right…