Motorcycle Helmet Legislation in Maine

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Motorcycle Helmet Legislation in Maine
Updated through the 130th Legislature

Introduction

The 1967 federal Highway Safety Act (PL 89-564) required states to enact universal motorcycle helmet laws to retain federal highway funds. Maine enacted its helmet law that year, which required “every person operating a motorcycle or motor driven cycle, or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor driven cycle or in a sidecar attached to a motorcycle or motor driven cycle” to wear protective headgear (PL 1967, c. 267). The federal mandate was reversed in 1976, and Maine repealed its universal helmet law (PL 1977, c. 22). Currently, helmets are required for operators or passengers of a motorcycle who are under 18, operators under a learner’s permit or who are within one year of completing a driving test, and the passenger of an operator required to wear headgear (see 29-A MRS §2083).

This legislative history covers proposed and enacted legislation related only to motorcycle helmet provisions. It does not include changes related to moped and autocycle helmet requirements. Likewise, helmet laws related to ATVs and snowmobiles are located in other sections of the statutes. If you need assistance with your research, please Ask a Law Librarian.

Browse by LD / Session Law:

Year	LD	Amendments	Final Disposition	Legislative Record Debate & Remarks	Other Documents & News Clips	Full LD History
1967	LD 240 An Act Relating to Protective Headgear by Persons Riding Two-Wheeled Motor Vehicles OTP-ND: LD 1560	N/A	PL 1967, c. 267	No debate.	N/A	N/A
1968	LD 1867 An Act to Correct Errors and Inconsistencies in the Public Laws	Enacted with amendments: S-358 S-362 S-366 S-367	PL 1967, c. 544, §§75, 78	House, January 24, 1968 p. 401-405 House, January 24, 1968 p. 411-412 Senate, January 24, 1968 p. 424 House, January 25, 1968 p. 436-438	N/A	N/A
1971	LD 1991 An Act Implementing the Reorganization of the Department of Public Safety	Enacted with amendment: S-348	PL 1971, c. 592	Senate, February 29, 1972 p. 580	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	N/A
1973	LD 867 An Act Revising Certain Motor Vehicle Laws	Enacted with amendment: H-160	PL 1973, c.222, §7	No debate.	N/A	N/A
1975	LD 1084 An Act to Repeal the Requirement for Wearing Motorcycle Helmets	N/A	Died between houses	House, March 18, 1975 p. B189-B190 House, May 22, 1975 p. B1226-B1229 House, June 2, 1975 p. B1510	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	N/A
1977	LD 9 An Act Repealing the Requirement for Wearing Motorcycle Helmets	N/A	PL 1977, c. 22 Veto overridden	House, February 17, 1977 p. 128-129 Senate, March 15, 1977 p. 269-270 House, March 16, 1977 p. 273-275	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	N/A
1977	LD 1890 An Act to Make Additional Corrections of Errors and Inconsistencies in the Laws of Maine OTP-ND: LD 1896	Enacted with amendment: H-913 And numerous amendments not relevant to the motorcycle helmet law	PL 1977, c. 564, §§106-A, 106-B	House, July 7, 1977 p. 2302-2311 Senate, July 7, 1977 p. 2318 Senate, July 7, 1977 p. 2335-2336 Senate, July 7, 1977 p. 2337 Senate, July 7, 1977 p. 2340 Senate, July 7, 1977 p. 2343-2346 House, July 11, 1977 p. 2386	N/A	N/A
1979	LD 123 An Act to Require Motorcycle Operators and Passengers and Motor Driven Cycle Operators and Passengers to Wear Helmets if they are Minors	Proposed amendments: H-40 S-20	Died between houses	House, February 22, 1979 p. 210 Senate, February 26, 1979 p. 232-234 Senate, February 28, 1979 p. 258-260 House, March 6, 1979 p. 305-306 Senate, March 9, 1979 p. 353-354	N/A	N/A
1980	LD 1700 An Act to Require that Children who are Under 15 Years of Age Wear Helmets when they are Passengers on Motorcycles	Enacted with amendment: S-410	PL 1979, c. 593	House, January 22, 1980 p. 62-63 Senate, January 24, 1980 p. 84 Senate, February 5, 1980 p. 118-120 House, February 7, 1980 p. 131 House, February 7, 1980 p. 133 Senate, February 13, 1980 p. 177-179	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	N/A
1981	LD 453 An Act Requiring Protective Headgear for Motorcycle Riders	N/A	Died between houses	House, April 16, 1981 p. 731-733	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1983	LD 1072 An Act to Require the Wearing of Protective Headgear by All Motorcycle, Motor Driven Cycle and Moped Riders	Enacted with amendment: H-263 Proposed amendment: H-202	PL 1983, c. 415	House, May 2, 1983 p. 695-697 Senate, May 5, 1983 p. 747-749 House, May 9, 1983 p. 769-772 House, May 9, 1983 p. 778-779 Senate, May 10, 1983 p. 801 Senate, May 10, 1983 p. 805-807 House, May 26, 1983 p. 1023-1024 Senate, May 31, 1983 p. 1063-1064	News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1985	LD 89 An Act Requiring Protective Headgear for All Motorcycle, Motor Driven Cycle and Moped Riders	Proposed amendment: S-121	ONTP	Senate, May 28, 1985 p. 798 House, May 29, 1985 p. 826-827	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1985	LD 856 An Act Concerning Reduction of Damages for Persons Not Wearing Safety Seat Belts or Helmets	Proposed amendment: H-239	ONTP	House, May 29, 1985 p. 827-828 Senate, May 30, 1985 p. 879-881	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1987	LD 712 An Act to Provide Positive Incentives for the Use of Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Safety Features and Equipment	N/A	Leave to withdraw	No debate.	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1989	LD 512 An Act Requiring Protective Headgear for All Operators and Passengers on Motorcycle, Motor Driven Cycle and Moped Riders	N/A	Died between houses	No debate.	N/A	Yes
1993	LD 1038 An Act Clarifying Certain Traffic Infraction Provisions of the Motor Vehicle Laws	Enacted with amendment: S-131	PL 1993, c. 224, §8	No debate.	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1994	LD 841 An Act to Revise and Recodify the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29	Enacted with amendment: S-549	PL 1993, c. 683	Senate, April 5, 1994 p. S-1878	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
1995	LD 1088 An Act to Require Consumer Information on Motorcycle Helmets	N/A	ONTP	No debate.	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2005	LD 172 An Act Requiring Protective Headgear for All Operators and Passengers on Motorcycles, Motor-driven Cycles and Mopeds	Proposed amendment: H-221	ONTP	House, May 5, 2005 p. H-474-H-475	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2006	LD 1464 An Act to Amend the Laws Relating to Motorized Scooters, Motor-driven Cycles and Mopeds	Enacted with amendments: H-730 H-747 Proposed amendments: H-626 S-441 S-460	PL 2005, c. 577, §33	Senate, February 1, 2006 p. S-1466-S-1467 House, February 9, 2006 p. H-1220-H-1221	Committee File: Yes	Yes
2009	LD 437 An Act To Require a Person under 18 Years of Age To Wear a Helmet While on a Motorcycle	N/A	PL 2009, c. 50	No debate.	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2009	LD 453 An Act To Require Motorcyclists To Wear Helmets	Proposed amendments: H-297 S-179	ONTP	House, May 18, 2009 p. H-515-H-516 Senate, May 21, 2009 p. S-746-S-749	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News: The Law Library has numerous articles related to this legislation. Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2010	LD 1805 An Act To Correct Errors and Inconsistencies in the Laws of Maine	Enacted with amendments: H-832 S-535 S-545	PL 2009, c. 652, §C-5	Senate, April 12, 2010 p. S-1835	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2011	LD 351 An Act Concerning Motorcycle Safety	N/A	Leave to withdraw	No debate.	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes
2013	LD 66 An Act to Require That Motorcyclists Wear Helmets	Proposed amendment: H-20	ONTP	House, April 9, 2013 p. H-298-H-299 Senate, April 10, 2013 p. S-445	Committee File: Please contact a Reference Librarian. News Clips: Please contact a Reference Librarian.	Yes