After you pass in Maine: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the intermediate license restrictions and when they lift.
• You can say who counts as immediate family for passengers.
• You can explain the provisional period and what a ticket costs during it.
• You can get your photo license and know when to renew it.

What you need to know and understand

• Under 18 your license is intermediate for 270 days from issue, even if you turn 18 sooner.
• During that time: no driving from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., no non-family passengers without a qualified supervisor, and no phone use.
• Immediate family includes parents, stepparents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, step-siblings, your spouse and children, plus some people living with your family such as exchange students.
• A violation brings a $250 to $500 fine, a suspension (60 days for a first offense) and another 270 days of restrictions.
• Your first license is provisional for 2 years if issued before 21. Any moving violation conviction in that time means a suspension.
• Under 21 you may not drive with any alcohol.
• A Maine license is generally valid until your sixth birthday after it is issued, or fourth if you are 65 or older.

Your intermediate license in practice

The passenger limit lifts when a licensed driver who is at least 20, has held a license for 2 years and is licensed for the vehicle sits beside you. The night limit and the phone ban have no supervisor exception in the law. You may use a phone only after you pull off the road and stop where it is safe.

The BMV offers optional decals that can be placed on the rear window and windshield to show that the driver may hold an intermediate license.

Getting your photo license

1. After you pass, BMV staff issue a temporary license.
2. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian must be with you to sign for the license.
3. Show proof of legal presence and Maine residency, and pay the license fee: $30 for a standard 6-year license or $55 for REAL ID, for drivers under 65.
4. Your photo license is mailed to you. Carry it whenever you drive.

Keeping your license clean

• Provisional suspensions if your first license was issued before 21: 30 days, then 180 days, then one year for later moving violations, plus a required driver improvement program.
• Tell the BMV within 30 days if your name or address changes.
• Hands-free phone use only becomes legal once you are 18 and off the intermediate license.
• Defensive habits, such as a 4-second gap and slowing for weather and wildlife, protect your record and your life.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the curfew does not apply because a parent is in the car.
• Giving a friend a ride home 'just this once'. It risks a suspension and 270 more days of restrictions.
• Believing everything ends at 18. The 270 days and the 2-year provisional period run on their own clocks.
• Forgetting to update your address, so you miss renewal and court notices.

Test yourself: After you pass in Maine: restrictions and your licence

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

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in Maine
• Maine Intermediate License Rules
• Maine Permit Test