Maine graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three stages a Maine teen driver goes through.
• You can say how long you must hold a permit and how many hours you must log before the road test.
• You can list the three intermediate license restrictions and how long they last.
• You can explain how the provisional license period differs from the intermediate period.
• You can describe what happens if you break a restriction.

What you need to know and understand

• You can apply for a learner's permit at 15, but under 18 you must finish an approved driver education course first.
• A learner's permit is valid for 2 years and cannot be renewed. If it expires, you reapply and retest, but your logged hours carry over.
• Drivers under 21 must hold the permit for 6 months and log 70 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night, before the road test.
• You can get a license at 16 with driver education, or at 18 without it.
• A license issued under 18 is an intermediate license with restrictions for 270 days.
• Your first license is provisional for 2 years if issued before 21, or 1 year if issued at 21 or older.
• Breaking an intermediate restriction means a fine of $250 to $500, a suspension and another 270 days of restrictions.

Stage one: the learner's permit

The permit lets you practice with a supervisor beside you. The supervisor must be at least 20 years old, have held a valid license for at least 2 years, sit in the seat next to you and be licensed for the type of vehicle you are driving. Permit holders of any age may not use a phone or handheld device while driving, even when stopped at a light.

Drivers 21 and older do not have to wait 6 months or log hours, but they still need a permit and must pass the road test.

Stage two: the intermediate license (under 18)

If you pass the road test before your 18th birthday, you get an intermediate license. For 270 days from when it is issued, these limits apply. The 270 days can run past your 18th birthday.

• No driving between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.
• No passengers other than immediate family, unless a supervising driver who meets the permit supervisor rules sits beside you.
• No using a mobile phone or handheld electronic device while driving, including when stopped in traffic.

Stage three: provisional, then full privileges

Separate from the intermediate rules, your first license is provisional. If your first license was issued before 21 and you are convicted of any moving violation during the provisional period, the BMV suspends your license: 30 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second and one year for a third. You must also complete an approved driver improvement program before the suspension ends. For a first license issued at 21 or older, the suspensions are 30, 60 and 90 days.

Under 21 you may not drive with any alcohol in your system at all, even after the provisional period ends.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the intermediate restrictions end on your 18th birthday. They last 270 days from issue, however old you are.
• Mixing up the 270-day intermediate period with the 2-year provisional period. A speeding ticket in month 18 still leads to a suspension.
• Starting your log before the permit is issued. Hours only count after you have your permit.
• Giving a friend a ride with a supervisor who is under 20 or has held a license for less than 2 years.

Test yourself: Maine graduated driver licence stages

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in Maine
• Maine 70 Hour Driving Log
• Maine Intermediate License Rules