SEMA Custom Vehicle Registration Bill Becomes Law in Maine

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2005) - A version of SEMA model legislation to create a registration class for custom vehicles was signed into law by Maine Governor John Baldacci.  Maine joins Montana, Illinois, Missouri and Rhode Island as states that have enacted the bill.   
Under the new law, custom vehicles are defined as at least 30-years old and of a model year after 1948 or manufactured to resemble a vehicle from that era.  The law also allows customs to have a body constructed from non-original materials and assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble, allowing qualifying replicas and kit cars to be accommodated under this registration class.  The measure requires the Chief of the State Police to convene a committee comprised of representatives from the custom vehicle industry to provide advice and technical assistance regarding potential inspection standards and procedures.  
The new law is the product of months of consultation with the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), state legislators, regulators and the local hobbyist community.  The custom vehicle registration class was added to the state's existing street rod friendly registration laws.  
"Backed by the hard work and perseverance of State Representative A. David Trahan, SEMA members (including the Maine Custom Auto Association) and the state's vehicle enthusiast community, we are extremely gratified that Maine will join the list of states that recognize customs as distinct classes of vehicles," said SEMA Vice President, Government Affairs Steve McDonald.  "The new law offers the benefit of also including qualifying replicas and kit cars in these specialty vehicle registration classifications."
Several years ago, the HRIA, a SEMA council, voted to expand its market scope to include custom vehicles, also known as street-modified vehicles.  This action allowed this segment of the car hobby a strong united voice and a SEMA council in which their specific needs could be addressed.  The SEMA model legislation was drafted to reflect the HRIA's expanded scope.  
"The model bill will continue to be pursued by SEMA in states that either don't have registration classifications for these vehicles or have laws that are lacking in some way," said McDonald.  "Efforts are ongoing this year to work with the state legislature in Massachusetts, Tennessee and New York on this initiative and we hope to add others to that list in the coming legislative sessions."   
The Hot Rod Industry Alliance is a SEMA council dedicated to protecting and developing the street rod and street-modified hobby.  Its members include manufacturers, fabricators, publishers, dealers and car clubs. 
SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $31 billion specialty automotive industry of 5,727 member-companies.  It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for the specialty auto parts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles.  For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765, tel: 909/396-0289, or visit www.sema.org and www.enjoythedrive.com.