Maine Inspection Manual

Here's a revised (07-20-12) pdf file of Maine's Inspection Manual:

Maine Inspection Manual

New tire Laws, revised 04-09-13:

New Tire/Frame Law

So is that Tire / Frame law actually a law without the governors signature

Yes, believe it or not..

OK So even as an insp. tech. And knowing other insp. tech's. We have different opinions on this. Lets refer to the "tire law''.

Tire sized removed from manual refer to statute title.29-A 1917 (Same law as old rule)

Are they suggesting we refer to this to see that it has been removed? Or Are they suggesting we refer to this to still go by this. Hence "same law as old rule"


Refer to the bold,underline text below

As it Says in- 29-A 1917, section 2-

2. Safe tires required. A motor vehicle may not be operated on a public way unless it is equipped with tires in safe operating condition. A tire mounted on a motor vehicle is not considered to be in safe operating condition unless it meets the visual and tread depth requirements set forth in subsections 3 and 4, the overall diameter of the properly mounted and inflated tire is within 2 inches of the range of sizes recommended by the manufacturer for the model vehicle and the vehicle is in compliance with the frame height requirements provided in section 1920.

Ive been going by the fact that the new amendment, the one provided as of April 9 has the section of the tire sizing stricken, ie. that is no longer enforceable or can be used as reasonable articulable suspicion for a traffic stop.

Reading threw the manual more. It is still in there ( The updated Manual )

16-222 Chapter 1 Section 170 page 24

(j) Reject vehicle if it is equipped with tires that
are in violation of the size restrictions in Title 29-A
Section 1917 (see supplement)

Here is LD21 amendment

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_126th/billtexts/SP001301.asp


Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1917, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 251, §8, is further amended to read:

2. Safe tires required. A motor vehicle may not be operated on a public way unless it is equipped with tires in safe operating condition. A tire mounted on a motor vehicle is not considered to be in safe operating condition unless it meets the visual and tread depth requirements set forth in subsections 3 and 4 , the overall diameter of the properly mounted and inflated tire is within 2 inches of the range of sizes recommended by the manufacturer for the model vehicle and the vehicle is in compliance with the frame height requirements provided in section 1920.

The Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 1920 sets standards for maximum and minimum frame end height requirements for motor vehicles and the Maine Motor Vehicle Inspection Manual requires that a vehicle fail inspection if a tire contacts any part of the body of the vehicle. In light of these existing requirements, this bill removes a provision in law that requires the overall diameter of a properly mounted and inflated tire of a motor vehicle to be within 2 inches of the range of sizes recommended by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle.

So again, tire size is not an issue, but frame height is. Tiretread still can NOT stick out beyond the fender or fender flare.

And this is what I would presume Inspection Technicians go by:
Tire/Lift Law

There has always been a conspiracy about tire/ lift laws anyways. However, register it commercial and tire size does not matter and it gives you a higher frame height. When I was inspecting vehicles I never cared as long as the tires did not stick out past the fenders of the vehicle.

Beardus supremous wrote:There has always been a conspiracy about tire/ lift laws anyways. However, register it commercial and tire size does not matter and it gives you a higher frame height. When I was inspecting vehicles I never cared as long as the tires did not stick out past the fenders of the vehicle.

You must still go by the GVWR of the vehicle.

Mtnclimber this is correct, and to compensate for that, you register it and tell them you will be regularly hauling a trailer. This would make total weight to 10001 lbs or more, commercial weight. If you are hauling a trailer with truck weight beyond what your registered, technically your illegal.

Ok enough of the legal review  . So I got a 2009 JK with a Metalcloak 3 1/2" lift with 35's. I have Bushwacker pocket flares that do cover the width. So where am going to get it happily inspected, that's the $1m question!

As long as the frame heights meet the requirements, anywhere.

Try Tucker Auto Repair on Rt. 133 heading towards Winthrop. On the left after the big hill after the pond w/guardrails.

Tell him Jareb sent ya. Might help ya, might not, lol