Maine permit test cheat sheet

Maine-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format
30 questions
Passing score
24 of 30 correct (80%)
Permit and test fees
$35 total
Minimum age for a permit
15 years
Supervised driving
70 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
6 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • You must be at least 15 to get a Maine learner's permit. p. 7
  • A Maine permit holder may drive only with a licensed driver who is at least 20 and has held a valid license for at least 2 years. p. 7
  • Drivers under 21 must hold the learner's permit for 6 months from the date it was issued before applying for the road test. p. 8
  • Maine requires at least 70 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, before a driver under 21 can take the road test. p. 8
  • A licensed driver under 18 may not drive between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. p. 9
  • The phone ban, midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew and passenger limits apply for 270 days after a driver under 18 passes the road test. p. 9
  • Any violation of the under-18 restrictions results in a license suspension and a 270-day extension of the restrictions. p. 9
  • A licensed driver under 18 may carry only immediate family members unless a licensed driver who is at least 20, has held a license 2 years and sits beside them is along. p. 9
  • A first license issued to someone under 21 is provisional for two years. p. 9

Alcohol & drugs

  • Driving with an alcohol level of 0.08 grams per 100 milliliters of blood or 210 liters of breath is a criminal OUI offense in Maine. p. 31
  • Drivers under 21 may not drive after drinking any amount of alcohol. p. 28
  • A driver under 21 found operating with any alcohol, or who refuses the test, loses their license for at least one year. p. 36
  • By driving in Maine you automatically consent to an alcohol test. p. 31
  • The Secretary of State's administrative suspension stays in effect even if the driver is later found innocent of OUI. p. 32
  • A first OUI conviction brings a license loss of at least 150 days, whether the alcohol level was 0.08-0.14 or higher. p. 32
  • An OUI conviction at 0.15 or higher, or with aggravating factors such as speeding 30 mph over or a passenger under 21, brings at least 48 hours in jail, or 96 hours with a test refusal. p. 32
  • The operator violates Maine law if the operator or any passenger in the passenger area drinks alcohol or has an open container. p. 35