Maine · Handbook chapter 1 · 6 min read

How to get a Maine learner's permit and license: the 30-question written test, vision screening, permit supervision, 70 hours of practice, under-18 restrictions, the provisional license, license classes, points and suspensions.

Why this chapter matters

The written test can ask about the permit and license rules themselves, and Maine attaches real penalties to them. Learn these numbers: 15, 16, 20, 2 years, 6 months, 70 hours, 10 at night, 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., 270 days, 30 days, 6 and 12 points.

The tests

New drivers pass three things: the written (knowledge) exam, a vision screening and the road test. According to the BMV exam page, the knowledge test has 30 questions and you need at least 24 correct to pass. It covers the rules of the road, the meaning of signs, pedestrian and bicycle safety, Maine's operating under the influence (OUI) laws and the dangers of distracted driving. The manual adds that special emphasis falls on Maine's drinking and driving laws.

The vision screening checks visual acuity (how clearly you see) and peripheral vision (how far you see to each side while looking ahead). It is free when you take the written exam, or a doctor of your choice can do it at your expense on the official form.

The digital test is offered in Arabic, Canadian French, English, French, Lingala, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish and Swahili (the page calls this "8 languages" but names nine). Since February 1, 2026, the BMV provides a free interpreter for other languages; booking one may take four weeks or more.

Getting a learner's permit

• You must be at least 15 years old.
• If you are under 18, you must complete an approved driver education course.
• You must pass the written knowledge exam.
• Bring two forms of identification, for example a birth certificate and a Social Security card. Applicants up to and including age 22 must show a birth certificate or passport to prove their date of birth. A photocopied birth certificate needs the issuing agency's embossed seal or stamp; notarized copies are not accepted.
• If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian with custody (or a spouse aged 18 or older) must sign the application. That person can later file a notarized request asking the BMV to suspend your permit or license.

The permit is generally valid for 2 years. You may drive only with a licensed driver who is at least 20 years old, has held a license for 2 years, is licensed for the class of vehicle you are driving and sits in the seat next to you. Driving alone on a permit can cost you a 30-day suspension.

Getting your license

You can be licensed at 16 if you have completed approved driver education, or at 18 without it. If you are under 21, before the road test you must:

• hold the permit for 6 months from the date it was issued, and
• drive at least 70 hours, including 10 hours at night, with a qualified supervising driver. The hours count only after the permit is issued.

The online study guide says a parent, stepparent, guardian, spouse or employer may certify the hours; the PDF manual (Rev 4/24) says a parent, stepparent, guardian or spouse must certify them, with an employer allowed only when there is no parent.

To book the road test you mail the request card from the back of your permit, or, if you are under 21, your completed driving log, to the BMV in Augusta. You bring your own registered and inspected vehicle and a licensed driver. The examiner checks control forward and backward, lane position, turns, and how you react to traffic, signs and pedestrians; the test includes parallel parking and straight-line backing.

Limits for drivers under 18

For 270 days after passing the road test, a driver under 18 may not:

• use a mobile telephone or handheld electronic device while driving,
• drive between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.,
• carry passengers other than immediate family, unless a licensed driver aged 20 or older with 2 years of licensed experience sits beside them.

Breaking these rules brings a suspension and another 270 days of restrictions, which can run past your 18th birthday.

The provisional license

Your first license is provisional for 2 years if you are under 21 when you get it, or 1 year if you are 21 or older. A moving violation committed while provisional brings a 30-day suspension; later offenses are punished more severely.

License classes and other rules

Motorcycles, buses and school buses need endorsements. School bus drivers must be at least 21 with a year of licensed experience. New residents must get a Maine license within 30 days. Report a change of name or address within 30 days. A renewal notice arrives about 45 days before the license expires, and the photo license normally runs until your sixth birthday after issue (fourth if you are 65 or older).

Points, suspensions and revocations

• Maine uses demerit points. At 6 points you get a warning; at 12 points your license is suspended. Points drop off when they are one year old.
• Finishing the five-hour Maine Driving Dynamics course takes 3 points off, once in any twelve months.
• Each calendar year without a conviction or suspension earns one violation-free credit point, up to four.
• A 30-day suspension can follow convictions such as passing a stopped school bus with red lights flashing, speeding 30 mph or more over the limit, leaving the scene of an injury crash, lending your license or driving without a license.
• Eluding an officer, passing a roadblock or street racing can bring up to 90 days; operating after suspension, 60 days.
• Failing to answer a court summons or pay a fine means suspension until you appear or pay.
• Vehicular manslaughter brings revocation for at least 5 years, permanent if alcohol was involved.